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THE LIFE 



OF 



GEN. THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

(" STONEWALL" JACKSON.) 



BY 
SARAH NICHOLAS RANDOLPH, 

AUTHOR OP "THE DOMESTIC LIFE OP THOMAS JEFFERSON." 



TSTITH ILLTISTR^TION^S. 



C.C^: 



2nsi 5. 



!> H I L A D E L P H I A : 

J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO. 

187 6. 



E^^^ 



Il5l^'^ 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by 

J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO., 
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. 



TO 
MY LITTLE FRIEND AND PUPIL, 

WILLIAM CORCORAN EUSTIS, 
I DEDICATE THIS BOOK, 

HOPING THAT IN ITS SIMPLE STORY OF THE LIFE OF A GREAT 

AND GOOD MAN HE MAY FIND INCENTIVES SO TO GUIDE AND 

DIRECT HIS COURSE ON THE SMILING PATHWAY WHICH 

LIFE OFFERS TO HIM, THAT DEVOTION TO TRUTH, 

LOVE FOR GOD AND HIS FELLOW-MAN, AND HIGH 

INTELLECTUAL ATTAINMENTS MAY MARK 

HIM AS THE WORTHY HEIR OF THE 

NOBLE GRANDSIRE WHOSE 

NAME HE BEARS. 



PEEFAOE. 



It is with extreme diffidence that I appear before the 
public as the biographer of the great Captain whose 
name stands on the title-page of this little volume. I 
do not presume to rank my work with the great mili- 
tary biographies in which the young soldier studies the 
strategy of great leaders of great armies. Nor have I 
ventured to approach the discussion of the causes of 
the late war between the North and the South. I have 
merely attempted to write a poj^ular life of Jackson by 
telling the simple story of his brief but brilliant career 
so that "he who runs may read.'^ Awkwardly as I 
may have done this, the reader will find it a life, in its 
beginning, in its silent growth, and in its glorious sequel, 
full of instruction and of charm fo* the imagination. 

The sifting events of years must pass, the unearthing 
of material in anecdotes and side-lights which the very 
appearance of different lives of Jackson will bring to 
light must be known, and the records of that army in 
whose achievements he played such a distinguished part 
must be published, before a really full and standard life 
of him can be WTitten. But, until that time comes, the 

5 



6 PREFACE. 

reader will find in the following unpretending pages the 
faithful record of the life of one of the most remarkable 
men this country has ever produced, and my task will 
indeed has been poorly executed if he does not rise from 
their perusal filled with admiration for Jackson's great- 
ness, and with a reverence, almost approaching awe, for 
a purity of heart and an earnest simplicity of faith such 
as are rarely vouchsafed to the children of men. 

I must here acknowledge the great assistance in the 
preparation of this volume received from the valuable 
" Life of Jackson,'^ by Dr. Dabney, whom I have in one 
or two instances followed so closely that I might, but for 
this frank acknowledgment, almost be liable to the charge 
of plagiarism. 

The vivid descriptions of battles foujid in the beauti- 
fully written " Histoire de la Guerre civile en Amerique," 
by the Comte de Paris, place me under obligations to 
their royal author, whose enlightened pages no South- 
erner can read without a sigh of regret that his materials 
at hand for the Southern view of the question were not 
as abundant as were those for the opposite side. 

THE AUTHOR. 
Edge Hill, January, 1876. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

EARLY LIFE. 



Jackson's ancestry — His great-grandfather — Death of his father — 
His early childhood— His mother's death — Residence with his un- 
cles—A youthful escapade — Character at school— Farm work and 
rural pleasures — Becomes a constable — Conscientious discharge of 
duties — Aspirations for a thorough education — Appointed a cadet 
at West Point 13-29 



CHAPTER II. 

WEST POINT. 

First appearance at the Academy — Reminiscences of a class-mate 
concerning him — His course as a student — Graduates — Is ordered 
to take the field in Mexico — Joins the army at Vera Cruz — Applies 
for and receives the post of second lieutenant in Magruder's bat- 
tery — Distinguishes himself in the battle of Churubusco— Is bre- 
vetted captain — Gallant conduct in the assault upon Chapultepec — 
Is brevetted major — Commendations from his superior ofiicers — 
Studies the Spanish language — Life at the Mexican capital . 30-42 

CHAPTER III. 

LEXINGTOX. 

Passes two years at Fort Hamilton, Long Island — Transferred to Fort 
Meade, Florida — Accepts the position of Professor of Natural Phi- 
losophy and Artillery Tactics in the Virginia Military Institute at 
Lexington — Habits of study — Zeal in religion — His perfect trust in 
God — Marries Miss Eleanor Junkin — Death of his wife — Trip to 

7 



CONTENTS. 

Europe — Thoughts of becoming a missionary — His deep prayer- 
fulness — Second marriage — Jackson as a householder — Domestic 
life — His tenderness of heart — Extracts from letters to his wife 43-54 



CHAPTER lY. 

APPOINTED COLONEL. 

Formation of the Southern Confederacy — Virginia's attitude — Bom- 
bardment of Fort Sumter — Secession of Virginia — Lee appointed 
major-general — Organization of camps of instruction — The senior 
cadets of the Institute ordered to Richmond — Jackson's departure 
from Lexington in charge of them — Life at Camp Lee — He is ap- 
pointed colonel, and ordered to take command at Harper's Ferry 55-62 

CHAPTER V. 

harper's ferry. 

Situation of Harper's Ferry — Rendezvous of the troops of the Valley 
of Virginia — Jackson as a disciplinarian — He takes possession of 
Maryland Heights — Richmond made the capital of the Confederacy 
— General Joseph E. Johnston appointed to the command of Har- 
per's Ferry — Jackson placed in command of a brigade — Harper's 
Ferry abandoned by Johnston — Movements of the Federal general 
Patterson — Destruction of railroad stock at Martinsburg — Fight 
at Haines's Farm — Beauregard organizes an army at Manassas 
Junction — Johnston withdraws to Winchester — Jackson is appointed 
brigadier-general 63-75 

CHAPTER VI. 

MANASSAS. 

Hopes and expectations of the opposing parties — McDowell's ad- 
vance — He is checked at Bull Run — Johnston summoned to the aid 
of Beauregard— Enthusiasm of the Virginia troops— Halt at Paris 
— Jackson acts as sentrj' — Arrival at the Junction — Disposition of 
the Confederate army at Bull Run — Beauregard's plan of battle — 
The Federals attack— Retreat of the Confederate left— Jackson's 
new line of battle— Death of General Bee— Arrival of Kirby -Smith 
— Defeat of the Federal army— Scenes in the retreat — President 
Davis on the battle-field— Jackson wounded— Reception at Rich- 
mond of the news of the victory 76-94 



CONTENTS. 9 

CHAPTER VII. 

ROMNEY. 

The colored Sunday-school — Incident at Manassas — Jackson's satis- 
faction with his brigade— He is made major-general — Ordered to 
Winchester— Takes leave of his brigade— Operations of the Fed- 
eral troops in Northwestern Virginia — Fruitless efforts of the 
Confederates to oppose them — New plans adopted by Jackson — He 
cuts the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal— DiflBculties in the work— He 
is joined by Loring's force — Expedition planned against Bath, 
Hancock, and Romney — Hardships endured by the troops — The 
enemy driven out of Bath — Ashby summons the town of Hancock 
to surrender — Romney abandoned by the enemy — A desolated coun- 
try — Jackson's return to Winchester — Telegram from the Secretary 
of War — Jackson tenders his resignation, but afterwards with- 
draws it 95-112 



CHAPTER YIII. 

KERNSTOWN. 

Disasters to the Confederate arms in the early months of 1862 — Fall 
of Forts Henry and Donelson — Affairs in Virginia— Magruder's 
tactics on the peninsula — The advantages of the North— Gloomy 
prospect for the South — Jackson at Winchester — He determines 
to fall back to Strasburg— Receives orders to hold Banks in check 
— Battle at Kernstown — Retreat of the Confederates — General 
Ashby 113-130 



CHAPTER IX. 

WINCHESTER. 

McClellan's movement against Richmond — Jackson's position in the 
Valley— He retreats to Harrisonburg— Movements after leaving 
that place— March to Staunton— Battle at McDowell— Flight of 
the enemy — Banks's movements — Front Royal surprised by the 
Confederates — Pursuit of the Federals — Excitement of the inhabit- 
ants of Winchester — Scenes during the Federal retreat . . 131-154 
A* 



IQ CONTEXTS. 

CHAPTER X. 

THE RETREAT DOWN THE VALLEY. 

In camp at Winchester— Starts for Charlcstown— Routs the enemy- 
near that place— The Valley cleared of the invaders— lie prepares 
to attack Harper's Ferry — Learns that Fremont and Shields are 
moving against him — Retreats to Strasburg — Encounter with the 
Federal cavalry near Harrisonburg — Death of General Ashby — 
Jackson's grief — Makes arrangements to attack Fremont and 
Shields separately — He narrowly escapes capture by the Federals 
—The enemy repulsed at Port Republic — Battle of Cross Kejs — 
He turns upon Shields and defeats him — The Confederate cavalry- 
enters Harrisonburg — Bivouac in Brown's Gap — Religious ser- 
vices 155-174 

CHAPTER XL 

BATTLES AROUND RICHMOND. 

Battle of Williamsburg— Destruction of the ram Virginia— Repulse 
of the Federal gunboats at Drewry's Bluff— Battle of the Seven 
Pines — Jeb Stuart's raid — Jackson ordered to Richmond — The 
enemy hoodwinked — Interview between Jackson and Lee at Rich- 
mond — Jackson's command arrives at Ashland — McClellan's dispo- 
sition of his forces around the Confederate capital — Lee's plan for 
the capture of the whole Federal army — McClellan's change of 
base — Jackson's deep sense of responsibility — Battle of the Chicka- 
hominy — Brilliant charge of the Texan and Mississippi brigades — 
The Federal army in motion towards the James — Battle near Sav- 
age Station — Battle of Frazier's Farm — Unsuccessful assault of the 
Federal position on Malvern Hill — The Federal army at Harri- 
son's Landing — The siege of Richmond raised . . . 175-210 

CHAPTER XII. 

SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS. 

The astonished farmer — Formation of the Federal Army of Virginia, 
under Pope — Jackson ordered to Gordonsville — Applies for rein- 
forcements — Battle of Cedar Run — Defeat of the enemy — Death of 



CONTENTS. 11 

General Winder — Preparations to capture Pope's army — Pursuit 
of the retreating Federals — A touching tribute — Arrival of Jackson 
at Manassas — Critical position — Second battle of Manassas — Total 
rout of the enemy— Battle of Ox Hill 211-237 



CHAPTER XIII. 

SHARPSBURG. 

On the march to the Potomac — Arrival at Dranesville — Incident at 
Leesburg — Jackson's command crosses the Potomac — Halt at Fred- 
erick City — McClellan restored to the Federal command— Lee calls 
a council of war — Jackson detailed to capture Harper's Ferry — 
Once more in the Yalley — Attacks and takes Harper's Ferry- 
Arrives at Sharpsburg — Battle of Sharpsburg, or Antietam — Lee 
■withdraws into Virginia — Engagement at Boteler's Ford — Jack- 
son's kindness of heart 238-256 



CHAPTER XIV. 

FREDERICKSBURG. 

Appointed lieutenant-general — Religious services in camp — Destruc- 
tion of portion of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad — Stuart enters 
Pennsylvania — Jackson's corps put in motion — McClellan replaced 
by Burnside — Movements of both armies — Jackson at Fredericks- 
burg — Lee's preparations for the fight — The Federals cross the 
Rappahannock — A vivid war-picture — Repulse of the enemy — Nar- 
row escape of Jackson — Death of General Gregg — Flag of truce — 
The Federal retreats during the night— End of the campaign of 
1863 257-279 



CHAPTER XV. 

WINTER QUARTERS, 1863. 

Sports in camp — Jackson's occupations during the season of inac- 
tivity — Rigid adherence to duty — His interest in the affairs of the 
Yalley — Visitors — Impressions upon strangers — His kindness to 
his guests — Love for little children — His delight in the soldiers' 
religious meetings — Visit from his wife and daughter . . 280-295 



12 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XVI. 

CHANCELLORSVILLE. 

Preparations on both sides — Fight at Kelly's Ford — Jackson's impa- 
tience for the opening of the campaign— Hooker's movements — 
Strength of his position at Chancellorsville — Consultation between 
Lee and Jackson — Jackson proposes to attack the enemy in the 
rear— Routs llooker's Eleventh Army Corps — His enthusiasm and 
reckless exposure to danger — Is fired upon in the darkness by a 
party of his own men — Perilous position of the wounded general 
and his friends — His last military order 296-325 

CHAPTER XVII. 

DEATH AND BURIAL. 

A curious incident — Chancellorsville — Jackson's opinion of his flank 
movement against Hooker — Closing scenes — Dispatch from Lee- 
Removed to Guinea's Station — Death — Lee's general order — Grief 
of the people at the news — The remains escorted to Richmond 
— Scenes at the funeral — Burial at Lexington — Review of his 
life 326-357 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

CONCLUSION. 

Bronze statue presented to Virginia by Jackson's English admirers 
— Mr. Beresford Hope's letter — Acceptance of the gift — Inaugura- 
tion of the statue 358-263 



THE LIFE 



OP 



GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 



CHAPTER I. 



EARLY LIFE. 



jN'ot quite half a century ago, a thoughtful-looking, 
rather slender, blue-eyed little boy, about eight years 
old, was seen walking along the road leading from 
Clarksburg to Lewis County, in Western Virginia. The 
sun was approaching the western horizon, and the boy 
moved along wearily and mayhap with aching feet, for 
he had walked eighteen miles that day. But the child 
is father to the man ; a strong will and patient perse- 
verance had borne him through the heat and toil of the 
day. A few more minutes, and he has reached the goal 
of his wishes, as, knocking at the door of a house at 
which he stops, the homeless little traveler announces 
himself to its owner as his nephew Thomas Jonathan 
Jackson, and, though an unexpected guest, receives from 
his kind-hearted uncle the affectionate welcome which 
assured him that here at last he had found a resting- 
place and a home which would be his as long as he 

2 (13) 



14 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

needed one. Tliis extraordinary display of daring and 
unyielding will and perseverance was indeed a fit open- 
ing of the career of one who was destined to command 
armies, make swift marches, win great victories, and to 
fall upon the field of battle with liis name enrolled 
among those of the great captains of the earth, and his 
memory enshrined in the hearts of his countrymen. 

The race from which this great man sprang were of a 
sturdy stock of pioneers in the New World, whose ener- 
gies and great probity won for them the esteem of the 
early settlers with whom they lived. John Jackson, the 
great-grandfather of " Stonewall Jackson," landed with 
other British emigrants in 1748 in Maryland. There he 
married Elizabeth Cummins, of London, and moved at 
once with this estimable woman to the northern part of 
Virginia. They lived for a short time in a beautiful 
valley of the Potomac River where Moorfields is now 
found. Having remained here three years, they moved 
still farther west, and finally settled in a place in Up- 
shur County, Virginia, which was once know^n as Fort 
Jackson, but is now called Buckhannon. 

The couple are represented as being of very unequal 
stature, the wife towering above the husband, and being 
as remarkable for her quick energy and great daring as 
he was for his goodness, his industry, and his tranquil 
courage. Tradition has preserved many instances of 
the undaunted spirit which she displayed on different 
occasions when the safety of the colonists was endan- 
gered by the attacks — often formidable — of the In- 
dians. We are told that she never quailed at the sound 
of the savage war-whoop, but when shut up in a stock- 
ade fort, to which the settlers fled in time of danger, 
her voice, more frequently than that of any other, was 



EARLY LIFE. 15 

heard soothing the fears of the women and children, and 
exhorting the men to deeds of daring and self-sacrifice. 
It is not now necessary to give a further account of 
this worthy couple, and I will only add that, when the 
American Revolution broke out, John Jackson fought 
in it with his elder sons, that he afterwards made quite 
a handsome fortune, and died in his eighty-sixth year. 
His stout-hearted wife survived him twenty-four years, 
and lived to the extreme old age of one hundred and 
five. This good couple had eight children,— five sons 
and three daughters. The second of these five sons, 
Edward Jackson, left fifteen children, one of whom, 
Jonathan Jackson, was the father of our hero. — -r; 

Jonathan Jackson was a lawyer, and lived in Clarks- 
burg. He married Julia Neale, of Parkersburg. She 
was a tall, graceful girl, whose sweet countenance and 
winning manners charmed all who met her, as in after- 
years her good sense and earnest piety commanded their 
respect. Her husband had inherited quite a snug little 
fortune from his father, which he might easily have in- 
creased by the labors of his profession, for he was quite 
an eminent lawyer. Unfortunately, however, in un- 
dertaking to assist some friends who were in trouble, 
he lost much of his own fortune in trying to rebuild 
theirs. The rest was lost at the card-table ; and thus it 
happened that before he had reached the prime of life 
he had lost all of his property except the house in 
which he lived, and his family were dependent for their 
support on what he could make by his profession. Jon- 
athan Jackson had four children : Elizabeth, AVarren, 
Thomas Jonathan, and Laura,— of whom only the last 
is now living. He was a very devoted and affectionate 
father, and lost his life by a fever which he caught 



^- 



16 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

while nursing his daughter Elizabeth, who died of the 
same disease. He had nursed her day and night, and 
lioped on against hope as the progress of the disease 
showed too plainly what the result would be. At last 
the child died, and the heart-broken father, worn out by 
his fatigue, his distress, and the misfortunes accumu- 
lating upon him and his family, followed her to the 
grave two weeks later. 

'^ The little Thomas Jonathan was only three years old 
at the time of his father's death, and at that tender age 
the young child's troubles in life began. Happy it was 
for him that he was too young to appreciate his mother's 
desolate condition ! Her husband left her penniless, and 
she found herself a widowed mother of three young 
children, without a home, and without any means of 
support. Kind friends were found who came to her 
relief. The Masons, of which order her husband had 
been an active member, gave her, soon after his death, 
a small house, containing only one room; and in this 
desolate little home, with her children around her, we 
behold this young mother commencing her widowed life. 

To enable her to support herself and children, she took 
in sewing and taught a small school. The weight of 
troubles resting upon her was almost too great for one 
of her delicate health ; and yet she bore up patiently and 
bravely, her bright and cheerful disposition only giving 
way occasionally to fits of gloom and despondency. 

It is said, by those who knew him best, that General 
Jackson rarely spoke of his childhood, having so many 
painful recollections of its trials and heartaches; and 
when we think how many and how great these were, we 
can well understand how he should have shrunk from 
looking back on them. Three years after her husband's 



EARLY LIFE. 17 

(leatli, Mrs. Jackson, who was still young and beautiful, 
married again. Her second husband, a gentleman named 
Woodson, was, like her first, a lawyer. He was very 
poor, and her relations were violently opposed to her 
marrying him, and threatened, if she insisted on doing 
so, to take her children from her and support and edu- 
cate them themselves. If, however, she would not 
marry him, they would aid her with all the money they 
could spare. But neither threats nor promises would 
make her give up her second marriage. She had, how- 
ever, been married but a short time when she found that 
her husband was too poor to undertake the support of 
her children, and she was forced to divide them out 
among their father's brothers and sisters, who had offered 
to take charge of them.* We can easily appreciate the 
trial it was to her to give up her young children. Slie 
was particularly distressed at parting with little Thomas. 
He was then, it is said, a pretty, rosy-cheeked, blue-eyed 
little boy, just six years old. Young as he was, he 
never forgot his own nor his mother's distress at their 
parting. His father had owned several slaves, but there 
was now only one left, '^ Uncle Robinson,^' and he was 
to take the child behind him on horseback and carry 
him from his mother to his new home. The hour came 
for his departure; his poor mother, with an aching 
heart, put up with her own loving hands a lunch for 
the little boy to eat on the road. " Uncle Robinson'^ 

* Since the above was written, I have learned that Mrs. Jack- 
son gave up her children not on account of want of support 
for them, but because she went with her husband to Fayette 
County, and the journey was considered too trying for them. 
She herself had a presentiment of her own death when she left. 
Part of the time after her first husband's d 'i.t'i she lived with her 
father. 

2* 



f^ 



18 LIFE OF GESERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

rode to the door, and all was now ready for liim to 
go. His mother bade him good-by, and the child was 
lifted up and placed on the horse behind the faithful 
slave. They had already started, when the poor mother 
— doubtless to have an excuse to fold her little son once 
more in her arms — called them back, to see whether she 
had omitted anything which could add to his comfort. 
But she had done all for him that her limited means 
would allow. And it was perhaps some violent outburst 
of grief at this second farewell which so impressed the 
scene on the child's mind that as a man he looked back 
to it as the most painful of his life. The horse's head 
was once more turned away from the door; they again set 

^ out, and from that day his mother's home ceased to be his. 
Mrs. Woodson did not live long after parting with 
her children. A son was born a year after her mar- 
riage, and two months later she died. Her children, 
Warren and Thomas and their little sister Laura, were 
summoned to their mother's bedside as soon as it was 
discovered how ill she was, and remained with her until 
her death. Thomas was seven years old when this took 
place. She talked a great deal to him as she lay on her 
death-bed ; and those dying instructions and prayers of 
his mother were never effaced from his memory. She 
sank at last quietly and peacefully to rest. Young as 
he was when she died. General Jackson never forgot 
his mother, and to the day of his death he continued to 
think of her as of one who was beautiful, pious, and 
lovable in every respect. 

^ Their father's sisters, Mrs. Brake and Mrs. White, 

took charge of the little orphan children after their 
mother's death. Thomas lived with Mrs. Brake, about 
four miles from Clarksburg. He was a quiet, grave, 



EARLY LIFE. 19 

and thoughtful child, and had been living \Yith his 
uncle and aunt Brake only a year when one day he left 
their house without any warning, walking, though only 
eight years old, alone to Clarksburg. There he went 
to the house of Judge Jackson, a cousin of his father, 
and asked Mrs. Jackson to give him his dinner. She 
kindly complied with his request, and while he was sit- 
ting eating at the table he said, very quietly, " Uncle 
Brake and I don't agree ; I have quit him, and shall 
not go back any more.'' 

Startled at this unexpected announcement, Mrs. Jack- 
son tried to persuade him to return to his uncle Brake, 
who, it seemed, had offended him by his sternness. But 
he simply said, " No, he and I don't agree ; I have quit 
him, and shall not go back any more." When he left 
Judge Jackson's house, he went to that of a lady cousin, 
to whom he was very much attached, and asked her to 
let him stay all night with her. She gladly consented ; 
and he soon made to her the same remark he had made to 
Mrs. Jackson, and showed the same quiet determination 
never to return to live with the uncle he had just left. 

It was the next morning that he left Clarksburg, and 
in that lonely walk of eighteen miles, already described, 
showed so remarkably that quiet self-reliance which 
characterized him in after-years, and which helped not 
a little to make him famous. The uncle to whom he 
went was Cummins Jackson, and from him, and two 
aunts who lived with their brother Cummins, he re- 
ceived the greatest kindness. In this new home he 
had the pleasure of living with his brother Warren, 
who had long been an inmate of his uncle's house. 

To the two brothers Cummins Jackson fulfilled the 
duties of a father, and his house was always a happy 



20 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

home from the time he came to it, as Ave have seen, a 
forlorn little traveler, only eight years old, to the day 
when he left it, a stalwart youth, to enter the Military 
Academy of West Point. It would have been impos- 
sible for a child to lead a life better adapted to physical 
and moral development than the one Jackson led under 
his uncle's care. From him he learned all sorts of 
country games and occuj^ations, and, associating with him 
more as a companion than as a child, became wonder- 
fully independent and manly for his years. 

Cummins Jackson gave to his two nephews every 
advantage of education which the country then afforded. 
Thomas was not quick in learning, but he was very in- 
dustrious and devoted to study. His mind was clear 
and strong, and what he learned he learned thoroughly. 
His brother Warren did not like to study, and, disre- 
garding his uncle's kindness, became impatient at being 
forced to attend school regularly, and finally refused to 
live any longer under his roof. His uncle, indignant 
at his ingratitude and rebellion against his authority, 
told him he might go ; and the unhappy boy left, taking 
his younger brother with him. 

Thomas, we are told, left his uncle's house with 
unfeigned sorrow; but such was his attachment to his 
brother that he could not bear to be separated from him. 

The two boys accordingly, one fourteen and the other 
twelve years old, left their uncle's sheltering roof to 
seek their fortunes in the great world of which they 
knew so little. They went first to the house of a kind, 
maternal uncle; but he, like Cummins Jackson, insisted 
on their going to school. Warren again rebelled, and 
again persuaded Thomas to join him in leaving a home 
where they had found nothing but kindness. 



EARLY LIFE. 21 

The two children went down the Ohio River, and 
their friends lost siglit of them. The fall months passed 
away, and the winter set in, and still there were no 
tidings of the young Avanderers. At length, in Feb- 
ruary, they made their appearance. Their clothes Avere 
travel-stained and worn, and their faces showed the 
effects of sickness and hardship. Their relations, shocked 
at seeing their condition, heard with dismay the tale of 
their adventures. Their account was that they had 
floated in a boat down the Ohio, making their living by 
first one occupation and then another, until they reached 
its mouth. They then went down the Mississippi until 
they reached a lonely island opposite the southwestern 
corner of Kentucky. There they landed and made a 
bargain with some men to cut wood on this island for 
the Mississippi steamers. They lived in a cabin which 
barely protected them from the weather, and spent the 
summer cutting wood, at which they worked hard. The 
island was unhealthy, and they had chills and fever. 
At last, when they found they could stand it no longer, 
they asked a steamboat captain to take them back home. 
This he kindly consented to do, and thus, weary and 
worn, they were enabled to reach home once more. 

Thomas Jackson returned to his uncle Cummins, and 
in his house he was tenderly cared for, and soon regained 
his health and strength. AYarren, ashamed perhaps to 
return to the good uncle whom he had left so unceremo- 
niously, went to live with his aunt, Mrs. Isaac Brake, 
from whom he received great kindness ; but, never re- 
covering from the effects of the hardships he had under- 
gone, he died some years later, of consumption. 

After his trip down the Mississippi, Thomas went 
back, as we have seen, to live with his uncle Cummins, 



22 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

nor did he ever again show any desire to leave him. 
He and his sister, after Warren's death, were the only 
two of their father's children left ; the latter lived in 
AVood County, where her mother's relations took care 
of her. As soon as Thomas was separated from AYar- 
ren, his desire to go to school was quite as great as his 
uncle could have wished. Cummins Jackson owned a 
mill, situated not far from his house, and close to it was 
the school-house in which Thomas Jackson spent his 
early school-days. 

His mind, though clear and strong, was not a very 
quick one ; but what he once learned was his forever. 
Nothing could induce him to attempt the recitation of a 
lesson which he did not understand. Of arithmetic he 
was very fond, and it was the one of his lessons Avhich 
he learned and understood most quickly. His anxiety 
to learn and his fondness for study in no wise interfered 
with his devotion to boyish games and exercise. In 
games of base-ball he was generally chosen as captain 
of one side, which most frequently proved the winning 
party. He was not a fast runner, but was surpassed by 
none of his companions in jumping and climbing. 

A quiet and peaceful boy, he was yet quick to resent 
an insult, and once, in a fight, preferred to receive a 
whipping rather than cry out, " Enough !" 

Perhaps the most striking characteristic of Jackson 
as a child was his devotion to truth. From this neither 
threat nor temptation could induce him to swerve for 
an instant, and teachers and scholars alike admired and 
respected his courage, honesty, and truth. Industrious 
in and out of school, he was, however, always anxious 
to join his uncle whenever he went on a chase. Cum- 
mins Jackson, a fearless man and bold rider, enjoyed 



EARLY LIFE. 23 

nothing more than a fox-hunt ; and in tliis exciting sport 
he was joined by his young nephew as soon as he was 
old enough. We can easily picture to ourselves this 
uncle and nephew mounting their horses and sallying 
forth in the bracing air of a bright, frosty autumn morn- 
ing, and being soon engaged in a wild ride over hill and 
dale, in which the boy was not surpassed by the man in 
boldness and daring. In such a school young Jackson 
could not fail to become a fine, fearless horseman, and 
to learn that disregard for fatigue and exposure which 
is so characteristic of the young men of the South. But 
it was no part of his nucleus training that he should par- 
take only of his amusements ; and he often had him to 
assist in his labors on his farm. To a lad as industrious 
as Thomas, this was no hardship, and his uncle found in 
him an able and willing assistant. 

Though owning slaves, Cummins Jackson had not 
enough to perform all the work on his farm and at 
his mill. He and his nephew, therefore, put their own 
shoulders to the wheel. When Thomas was large enough 
to undertake such a task, it generally fell to his lot to 
take a team of oxen and haul logs from the Avoods to the 
mill, where they were to be sawed into planks. He 
soon learned to do this work so well, and showed so 
much resolution in the discharge of his duty, that when- 
ever a particularly large log was to be brought to the 
mill he was sent to the woods with a party of men under 
his command, and the log always reached its destination 
safely. Thus he learned on his uncle's farm to work, 
to do well what he undertook, and to control himself 
and those under him. 

An anecdote is told of him when he was quite a child, 
which shows that he had both courage and resolution 



24 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

even at that tender age. When riding home late one 
evening, a tall, white, ghostly figure suddenly rose from 
the roadside. The boy and horse were both frightened; 
the latter snorted and wheeled to run, but his young 
rider, recovering himself, pulled him back into the road, 
and, plying whip and spurs, galloped by the white figure, 
which a few minutes later proved to be one of his young 
uncles wrapped in a sheet. 

In the school of such a life the boyhood of General 
Jackson was passed. His love of independence led him 
to try to support himself when still very young, as he 
was anxious to be no longer dependent on his uncle. 

His first occupation was that of a constable, a position 
whose stern duties could be fulfilled only by a brave and 
determined man, and Jackson was found to be well quali- 
fied for the post. On one occasion he had to collect a sum 
which the person to whom it was owed had in vain tried 
to get. Jackson, having failed in several attempts to get 
the money, finally made the man who owed it promise 
that he would meet him in the little village of AYeston 
on a certain day and be ready to pay the money down. 
Having exacted this promise from the debtor, he pledged 
himself to the creditor to pay the money on that day. 

The day came, and Jackson went to Weston. The 
creditor was there, in readiness to receive his money, 
but not the man who w^as to pay it. Jackson kept his 
promise w^ith the former by paying him the required 
sum out of his own pocket. Determined, however, that 
the other should be punished for failing to keep his 
word, he quietly waited for him to make his appearance 
in Weston, having made up his mind to seize and sell 
his horse if he could get the money in no other way. 

As he expected, the man arrived the next day ; but, it 



EARLY LIFE. 25 

being considered in that country improper, under any 
circumstances, to seize a man's horse while he was on 
liim, the young constable w^aited until he saw him dis- 
mount. He then went to him, reproached him for his 
breach of faith, and, reminding him of how often he 
had played him false, tried to seize his horse. The rider 
resisted, and a violent fight and scuffle ensued, during 
which the man succeeded in jumping on his horse. 

For a moment Jackson was disconcerted, but he was 
not to be outw^itted by his cunning adversary. Holding 
the bridle firmly grasped, he looked around, and seeing 
the door of a stable near by open, he deliberately led the 
horse towards it. The door was too low for a man to 
pass through on horseback, and Jackson quietly told his 
adversary that he must dismount or be knocked off. 
He resisted and entreated, but the horse was led steadily 
on to the door, and as he reached it the man was forced 
to slip off in order to save himself, and thus Jackson 
w^as left in possession of the horse. 

On the death of his brother AYarren we find Jackson 
writing to his uncle, Mr. Neale, as follows : " I have re- 
ceived no answer to my last communication conveying the 
sad news of my brother's premature death. He died iu 
hope of a bright immortality at the right hand of his 
Redeemer. His last hours were spent in admonishing 
his friends who wept around his bed to flee from the 
wrath to come. ... As time is knowledge, I must 
hasten my pen forward. We have received the smiles 
of a bounteous Providence in a favorable spring. There 
is a volunteer company forming here to march for Texas 
in order to assist the noble cause of liberty." 

Jackson's great devotion to his young sister has already 
been alluded to. As a pleasing proof of this, it is re- 



26 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

lated that the first money he ever made Avas laid out in 
a silk dress for her. 

During these days of his early youth, whether assist- 
ing his uncle on his farm or enjoying with him the 
exciting scenes of a fox-hunt, — of which sport there 
was danger of his becoming too fond, — or whether 
l)usily engaged in discharging the duties of a constable, 
there was one thought which possessed Jackson^s mind 
above all others, one wish that was dearer to his heart 
than any other ; and that was, to secure a good education. 
His heart was so full of this that every one who was 
thrown much with him saw how eager he was to learn, 
and, as we shall soon see, even a poor blacksmith living 
in his neighborhood found out his great desire to be well 
educated, and sympathized with him in his efforts to be 
so. But the difficulties to overcome were very great. 
He was poor, and began to earn his living long before 
it was time that he should have left school. The part 
of the country, too, in which he lived offered no educa- 
tional advantages, the schools being few and not very 
good. But Jackson saw that no man could rise to great 
distinction without education, and next to his desire to 
be good was that of being great, and he determined to 
leave no stone unturned in his effort to secure an edu- 
cation which would enable him to attain honors for 
which his soul so early thirsted. But his days of trial 
on that subject were soon to have an end. His strug- 
gles and perseverance in overcoming the obstacles in his 
path had been witnessed by too many for some one not 
to be ready to give him a helping hand when the oppor- 
tunity came, which it did at last, and unexpectedly he 
had the fond wish of his heart gratified in a manner 
which he had never dreamt of. 



EARLY LIFE. 27 

West Point, it is well known, has as many pupils or 
cadets as there are Congressional districts in the country. 
The expenses of this great military academy are paid by 
the United States Government with the money that the 
different States pay into its treasury. So that when a 
young man from Virginia is educated at West Point 
free of all cost to himself, it is no gift to him, but the 
payment of a just debt which the United States Govern- 
ment owes to his State. 

In 1842 it happened that there was no cadet at West 
Point from the Congressional district in which Jackson 
lived. At the recommendation of ]\Ir. Hays, the mem- 
ber of Congress from that district, a young man was 
appointed. He had a quick mind, but so little self- 
restraint and energy that, on seeing how hard the young 
men had to study at West Point, and under what strict 
rules they were obliged to live, he determined he could 
not stand such a life, and returned home in disgust, re- 
signed his appointment, and left the place to be filled by 
one whose name and whose glory the world can never 
forget. 

Just about this time, Cummins Jackson, going to fhe 
shop of a blacksmith, heard from him of this young 
man's io-noble conduct, the blacksmith concluding: his 
remarks by saying, ^' Here now is a good chance for 
Thomas Jackson, as he is so anxious for an education." 
The thought struck Cummins Jackson as a happy one, 
and on returning home he told his nephew of the oppor- 
tunity thus offered him of getting an api)ointment to 
AVest Point. Young Jackson began eagerly to take 
steps to secure this, and without a moment's delay went 
to his friends and asked them to sign a letter of recom- 
mendation for him to Mr. Hays. This they willingly 



28 



LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 



did, as all were anxious to give liim a helping hand. 
One gentleman to whom he applied asked him if he 
thouglit his education sufficiently advanced for him to 
enter West Point. For a moment his countenance fell, 
but was again lit up as he said, calmly, " At least I am 
determined to try, and I want you to help me do this/' 

As soon as the letters recommending his appointment 
were procured, they were forwarded to Washington. 
While awaiting the reply, Jackson made the most of his 
time by reviewing his studies. In this he was kindly 
assisted by a lawyer in Weston, who acted as his tutor 
but declined to receive any pay for his services. In due 
time the reply from Mr. Hays came, in which he said 
he would do all he could to secure the appointment for 
Jackson. The latter, in his eagerness to lose no time 
in entering West Point should he secure the appoint- 
ment, determined to go at once to Washington in order 
to be ready to receive it. His plain and scanty ward- 
robe was accordingly packed in a pair of saddle-bags, 
and, dressed in a full suit of homespun, he mounted his 
horse and set out to make his entrance into the w^orld, 
—that world which before his death was destined to 
resound with the fame of this now obscure youth. 

He was accompanied by a servant, who was to return 
home with his horse when he took the stage, which he 
expected to do at Clarksburg. To that place he pushed 
forward, but found, on his arrival, that the stage had 
passed by. Nothing daunted, he galloped after it, over- 
took it, dismissed his servant with the horses, and con- 
tinued his journey in the lumbering stage-coach. 

On reaching Washington, he went directly to Mr. 
Hays, who, pleased with the energy he had shown, took 
him, all travel-stained as he was, to the Secretary of 



EARLY LIFE. 29 

War, from whom he was to receive his appointment. 
The Secretary, after a few minutes' conversation with 
him, was so well pleased with his manliness and quiet 
determination that he wrote the appointment out for 
him on the spot. 

Mr. Hays wanted Jackson to stay several days with 
him in Washington and enjoy the sights and pleasures 
of the city ; but the young man, who still thought only 
of that longed-for education Avhich was now at length 
within his reach, said no ; he only wanted to see the 
view from the top of the Capitol, and then hurry on to 
West Point. 

To the top of the Capitol young Jackson accordingly 
went. In a long and silent gaze he looked down upon 
the city lying at his feet; upon the majestic river sweeping 
by, that like himself had its origin among the picturesque 
woods and rocks of Western Virginia ; and farther on 
beyond its sparkling waters and dancing wavelets his 
eye rested on the territory of his own loved State. There, 
too, on a height overhanging the Potomac, he saw, em- 
bowered in trees and reflecting the light of the morning 
sun, the future home of the then modest but rising young 
oflicer whose twin brother in glory he was destined to 
be. Could his eye have seen a few miles farther into 
that loved land, — could he in prophetic vision have 
caught a glimpse of a not very distant future, — there, on 
the field of Manassas, he would have seen, amid the din 
and smoke of battle, the tall, calm figure of a Virginia 
commander, whose steadfastness under fire and against 
overwhelming odds caused a brother officer to point him 
out to his men as a shining example, and to shout out 
with his expiring breath the immortal name of Stone- 
wall Jackson. 

3* 



CHAPTER 11. 



WEST POINT. 



An old friend and comrade of Jackson thus describes 
his arrival at West Point : 

^' Id June, 1842, A. P. Hill, George C. Pickett, B. D. 
Fry, and the writer, having passed our first week at the 
Military Academy, were standing together on the south 
side of the south barracks at West Point, when a cadet- 
sergeant came by us, conducting a newly-arrived cadet to 
his quarters. He was apparently about twenty years of 
age, and was full grown ; his figure was angular and 
clumsy ; his gait was awkward ; he was clad in old- 
fashioned Virginia homespun woolen cloth ; he bore 
across his shoulders a pair of weather-stained saddle- 
bags ; and his hat was one of those heavy, low-crowned, 
broad-brimmed wool hats usually worn in those days by 
county constables, etc. He tramped along by the side 
of the sergeant with an air of resolution, and his stolid 
look added to the inflexible determination of his whole 
aspect, so that one of us remarked, ^ That fellow has 
come here to stay.' His name Avas Thomas J. Jackson. 

'^ He had a rough time in the Academy at first, lor 
his want of previous training placed him at a disadvan- 
tage, and it was all he could do to pass his first examina- 
tion. We were studying algebra, and maybe analytical 
geometry, that winter, and Jackson was very low in his 
class standing. All lights were put out at ' taps/ but 
30 



WEST POINT. 31 

just before the signal he would pile up his grate Avith 
anthracite coal, and, lying prone before it on the floor, 
would work away at his lessons by the glare of the fire, 
which scorched his very brain, till a late hour in the 
night. This evident determination to succeed not only 
aided his own efforts directly, but impressed his in- 
structors in his favor, and he rose steadily, year by year, 
till we used to say, ^If we had to stay here another year, 
"old Jack" would be at the head of the class/ 

" By the fourth year he attained a position in the first 
section ; but his lower standing during the early years in 
the course, and in drawing, French, and some other 
studies of a lighter and more ornamental character, 
brought his average below the point to which he had 
actually attained by the end of our course. 

" In the riding-hall I think his sufferings must have 
been great ; he had a very rough horse, and when the 
order came to ^ cross stirrups' and 'trot,' 'old Jack' 
swayed about and struggled hard to keep his horse. 
When he had advanced to riding at the heads, leaping 
the bars, etc., his equitation was truly fearful ; but he 
persevered through the most perilous trials, and no man 
in the ridino;-house would take more risks than he, and 
certainly no one had our good wishes for success and 
safety more than he. 

" I believe he went through the very trying ordeal of 
the four years at West Point without ever having a 
hard word or a bad feeling from cadet or professor; 
and while there were many who seemed to surpass him 
in the graces of intellect, in geniality, and in good fel- 
lowship, there was no one of our class who more abso- 
lutely possessed the respect and confidence of all than 
he did." 



32 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

Knowing how badly prepared Jackson was, Mr. Hays 
wrote to the authorities and asked that his entrance ex- 
aminations might be made as easy as possible. He also 
stated that young Jackson's opportunities for receiving 
an education had been very few, and that he was a most 
excellent and promising young man. Moved by these 
considerations, the authorities were very lenient in their 
examination of him ; and he afterwards declared that 
if they had not been he could not have entered the Mili- 
tary Academy. As soon as he was numbered among 
the cadets at West Point, he devoted himself most earn- 
estly to his studies. The older cadets, who w^ere in the 
habit of playing tricks upon the new-comers, did not 
attempt anything of the sort with him, for he was so 
quiet and dignified that there were very few w^ho would 
venture to take any liberties with him. 

After working hard at his books all day, he generally 
went with some companion to take a ramble over the 
wild, beautiful hills around AYest Point, or spent an 
hour or two on the top of a bluff, watching the waters 
of the Hudson dancing at his feet. His countenance 
was grave when he was silent ; but if he spoke on a sub- 
ject which interested him his face became animated, and 
his eyes beamed with fire and intelligence. As the ex- 
aminations at the end of the first term came on, he is 
said to have suffered great agony of mind, fearing he 
might be among those who, getting below a certain 
mark, would have to leave. Years afterwards he used 
to say that after entering West Point and finding what 
amount of study was required, and how many cadets 
were sent off annually, he fully expected to be dismissed, 
and in anticipation suffered all the shame of going home 
and being laughed at. He even })repared what he would 



WEST POINT. 33 

say to his young friends and companions at home if he 
was sent back, and how he would tell them ^'if they had 
been there and found it as hard as he did, they would 
have failed too." 

But, trying as this period of his life was, Jackson's 
patient perseverance and enduring courage enabled him 
to pass triumphantly through it, and, not allowing him- 
self to be down-hearted, he never flagged at his work. 

While at West Point, he wrote down for his own use 
certain rules of conduct and maxims by which he should 
be guided. Among the latter we find the chief one to be: 
" You May Be Whatever You Resolve To Be'^ 

He had early determined to be great and good, and he 
never ceased striving to accomplish whatever he under- 
took. 

In his intercourse with his fellow-students he was 
invariably kind and courteous in his manners, and was 
always ready to nurse and aid those who w^ere sick and 
in trouble. The second year that he was at West Point 
he received seven demerits, which the bad conduct of 
others brought upon him. He remained silent and bore 
unjust blame, which he might have throwai on others 
had he not w^ished to shield them. 

When he first entered West Point he w^as rather 
small, and one of his relations describes him as being 
" a slender lad, who walked rapidly, with his head bent 
forward. He had a grave, thoughtful face, which gave 
him a dull look usually ; but when anything interested 
or excited him, his form became erect, his eyes flashed 
like steel, and his smile, as sweet as a woman's, would 
illumine his whole face." 

The life he led at West Point, and the fine exercise 
which the drilling gave him, soon developed his frame, 



34 LJFF^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

and he grew rapidly, and became a tall, fine-looking 
soldier. He was extremely erect, and while studying 
sat so bolt upright that he rarely touched the back of 
his chair. 

As the time drew near for his final examinations at 
West Point, he became morg and more anxious about his 
success, but more determined that if he failed it should 
be from no want of eifort on his part. After they were 
over, his aunt, Mrs. Neale, Avith whom he was always 
very intimate, asked him how he felt about them. He 
looked up with a bright smile as he replied, "Aunt, I 
w^pt and studied and prayed.'^ 

His day of trial was passed successfully, and he grad- 
uated at West Point on June 30, 1846, and received the 
brevet rank of second lieutenant of artillery. He was 
then twenty-two years old. 

He had only one personal difficulty while at West 
Point, which arose from a certain cadet taking Jackson's 
neatly polished musket and putting his own, uncleaned, 
in its place. Fortunately, Jackson had a private mark 
on his musket by which he could distinguish it from 
any other, and going directly to the captain of his com- 
pany he told him of the trick which had been played 
upon him, and described to him the private mark on 
his gun. That evening, when the arms were all in- 
spected, Jackson's musket was found in the hands of a 
cadet of bad standing both with professors and cadets, 
and Avho was the very person whom Jackson in his own 
mind had accused of taking his gun. When it was 
found actually in his possession, and he was accused of 
having taken it, he attempted to shield himself by a 
falsehood. Jackson, whose devotion to truth knew no 
bounds, had his indignation so aroused that for once he 



WEST POINT, 35 

made no effort to control his anger, and, declaring that 
such a cadet was a disgrace to West Point, said he would 
ask to have him tried and dismissed; nor did he give 
up his determination to do so until moved hy the en- 
treaties and remonstrances of both cadets and professors. 
As it turned out, however, the young man's disgrace 
was only postponed, as a little later he was dismissed 
for breaking his parole. After knocking about the 
world for some time, and getting more and more steeped 
in crime, lie finally wound up in the mountains of 
Mexico, Avhere he became the chief of a band of roving 
and thieving Indians who robbed and murdered travel- 
ers. After being with them for some time, they quar- 
reled with him about a poor peddler whom they had 
murdered for his goods, and drove him from their band. 

The war between Mexico and the United States had 
already broken out when Jackson graduated at West 
Point and received the brevet rank of second lieutenant 
of artillery. The young soldier was at once ordered to 
take the field, and from West Point went directly to 
New Orleans, from which place he sailed for Mexico. 
His company was with the little army of over thirteen 
thousand men which landed near Vera Cruz with colors 
flying, bands playing, and amid the enthusiastic shouts 
of the soldiers, on a lovely spring day (March 9) in the 
year 1847. The beauty and brilliancy of the scene were 
long remembered by young Jackson, and he often spoke 
of it in after-life. 

Jackson first " smelt gunpowder" in the siege of Vera 
Cruz, which city having surrendered after a heavy bom- 
bardment on the 29th of March, the United States 
troops under the command of General Scott were led 
rapidly forward towards the city of Mexico. On this 



3G LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

march they attacl<ecl and routed the INIexican army under 
Santa Anna at Cerro Gordo, where the plan of assault 
was made by Captain Eohcrt E. Lee. In this battle 
Captain John Bankhead Magruder greatly distinguished 
himself as the commander of a battery of light field 
artillery. He was considered a very strict commanding 
officer, and the place of second lieutenant being vacant 
in his battery after the battle of Cerro Gordo, there 
were very few young officers who were anxious to fill it. 
But young Jackson, thinking it Avas a position which 
from exposure to danger and hardships offered great 
advantages for winning distinction, asked for and re- 
ceived it. 

After the battle of Cerro Gordo, General Scott moved 
first upon La Puebla, and after a short stay at that city 
pushed on to the city of Mexico. He found the moun- 
tain-ridge which was between his army and the plain in 
the centre of w^hich the city stood so well fortified that 
he would have lost nearly the whole of his army in 
attempting to force his way through its passes. There 
was, indeed, a route to the left, by following which the 
ridge could be avoided ; but this was through a country 
so rough and broken up by ravines that the Mexican 
general, thinking it impassable, had not deemed it 
worth w^hile to defend it either with troops or fortifica- 
tions. He soon saw, however, that he had underrated 
the energy and courage of the army he had to deal with ; 
for its young engineers, pointing out this circuitous 
route to their general, urged him to follow it, which he 
did ; and after a rough and tedious march of several 
days the vanguard of the LTnited States army was, by 
August 19, at San Augustin, a village only eight miles 
from the city of Mexico. 



WEST POINT. 37 

The Mexican general, alarmed at the sudden and un- 
expected appearance of his enemy so near the city, threw 
a force into and fortified the village of San Antonio, 
which lies between San Augustin and the city. Farther 
on to the west stands an isolated hill at Contreras ; this 
he also fortified, and on its summit placed a heavy force 
of infantry and artillery. Most of his forces, however, 
he stationed in and around a village called Churubusco, 
just behind this hill, which was also fortified. Both posi- 
tions, San Antonio and Contreras, w^ere well chosen, but, 
unfortunately for the Mexicans, were too far apart to 
support each other. General Scott, seeing his advantage, 
marched around the hill of Contreras on the nio-ht of 
the 19th of August, and at daylight on the 20th attacked 
it in the rear, and after a fight of a few minutes' dura- 
tion defeated and routed the force which held it. The 
Mexican force which was at San Antonio, being now in 
great danger of being cut off, fell back hastily, and 
reached Churubusco in great confusion. After a fierce 
battle of a few hours, this place was also taken by the 
United States troops, and the Mexicans drcAV in their 
lines closer to the city. 

In the battle of Churubusco Jackson first won dis- 
tinction. Magruder's battery was assigned to a post 
within nine hundred yards of the enemy's works. His 
first lieutenant, Mr. Johnstone, falling early in the 
action, Jackson took his place and became second in 
command. With what skill and courage he discharged 
his duty I leave Captain Magruder to describe. In his 
report he says, — 

" In a few moments Lieutenant Jackson, commanding 
the second section of the battery, which had opened fire 
upon the enemy's works from a position on the right, 



38 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

hearing our fire still farther in front, advanced in hand- 
some style, and, being assigned by me to the post so gal- 
lantly filled by Lieutenant Johnstone, kept up the fire 
■with great briskness and effect. His conduct was equally 
conspicuous during the whole day; and I cannot tod 
highly commend him to the major-general's favorable 
consideration/' 

For his gallantry in the battle of Churubusco, Jackson 
received the brevet rank of captain. On the 8th of 
September the battle of Molino del Key was fought, 
in which battle Jackson was only called upon to fire a 
few well-directed shots at the enemy's cavalry. The 
battle of Molino del Key being another victory for the 
United States troops, and the Mexicans having been 
steadily pushed back upon their devoted city, there was 
only one obstacle left for the victors to overcome. This 
was the castle of Chapultepec, which was situated on 
a high hill, and commanded both roads by Avhich the 
victors were to enter the city. Around this castle 
were assembled the wrecks of the Mexican army, and 
they were prepared to make a death-struggle for its de- 
fense. The fields around, being covered with corn and 
groves, besides being cut up by ditches, were almost 
impassable for infantry, and quite so for artillery ; 
while behind every tree and hedge the Mexican sharp- 
shooters held themselves in readiness to fire. Terrible 
as the assault of such a position would be, the officers 
of the United States army felt that it must be made, 
and that quickly, since, their troops being far from their 
ships and their supplies running low, it was absolutely 
necessary for them to enter the city of Mexico at once. 
Officers and men, therefore, braced themselves up to the 
coming conflict, which took place on the 13th of Sep- 



WEST POINT. 39 

teraber. On the morning of that day, General Pillow, 
in whose command Magruder's battery was placed, was 
ordered to attack the castle on the west side, and Gen- 
eral Worth was ordered to marcli around and attack it 
on the north. 

Magruder was ordered to send one section of his bat- 
tery, under Jackson, to attack the northwest angle, while 
he himself attacked in another direction. Jackson was 
sent forward with two regiments of infantry under 
Colonel Tronsdale. The latter ordering him to push 
steadily on, he suddenly found himself right under the 
enemy's guns. Instantly they opened fire upon him, 
killing or disabling nearly all his horses, w^hile his men, 
for the most part, were shot down or driven from their 
guns. His rear was protected by a small party of infan- 
try, who were already wavering under the murderous 
fire. Just at this moment, General Worth, who had 
been moving rapidly around to the north side of the 
castle, came up, and, seeing Jackson's danger, ordered 
him to fall back. Jackson replied that it would be more 
dangerous to withdraw than to stand his ground, and if 
the general would send him fifty brave soldiers he would 
prefer to make an attempt to take the enemy's battery 
in front of him which had so crippled his own. Ma- 
gruder, in the mean while, having quickly accomplished 
the task which had been assigned to him, w^as moving 
rapidly forward to join his young lieutenant, when he 
was informed of his danger. With his usual gallantry, 
he dashed forAvard. His horse w^as killed and fell under 
him as he reached Jackson, who had just lifted, by hand, 
a single gun across a ditch and placed it in a position 
from which it could hurl death into the enemy's ranks. 
This gun, with the aid of a single sergeant, he was load- 



40 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

ing and firing rapidly, while his men were lying aronnd 
him, either dead, dying, wonnded, or skulking in the 
ditch. The indefatigable Magruder by his own exertions 
aided him in his efforts to silence tlie enemy's battery, 
and, another gun being brought over and placed in posi- 
tion, the Mexicans w^ere soon driven from their guns. 
The other storm ing-parties having also succeeded in their 
assaults on the castle, the enemy were soon in full retreat 
upon the city. The order now Avas that the artillery 
should pursue and harass the enemy's disordered and 
flying columns. The horses attached to Jackson's guns 
were all killed or crippled, but, not wishing to be left 
behind in the pursuit, he quickly attached the guns to 
the -limbers of his ammunition-box, and in a few minutes 
was dashing on in the headlong pursuit of the enemy, 
which stopped only at the very gates of the city. These 
were closed upon them only for the night, for the next 
morning (September 14) they were forced open by the 
exultant victors, and the American flag waved in triumph 
over the proud and beautiful city of the Montezumas. 

In the assault on the castle of Chapultepec young 
Jackson covered himself with glory. He often ex- 
pressed gratitude to General Pillow for having divided 
his battery and sent him off with a separate command, 
as he thus had an opportunity of distinguishing himself. 
For his gallant conduct he was rewarded with the bre- 
vet rank of major, and received compliments from all 
his superior officers in their reports of the battle. Gen- 
eral Pillow says, — 

"The advanced section of the battery, under com- 
mand of the brave Lieutenant Jackson, was dreadfully 
cut up, and almost disabled. . . . Captain Magruder's 
battery, one section of which was served with great gal- 



WEST POINT. 41 

lantry by himself, and the other by his brave lieutenant, 
Jackson, in face of a galling fire from the enemy's posi- 
tion, did invaluable service/' 

General Worth speaks of him as " the gallant Jack- 
son, who, although he had lost most of his horses and 
many of his men, continued chivalrously at liis post, 
combating with noble courage." 

And Captain ^lagruder says, — 

"I beg leave to call the attention of the major-general 
commanding the division to the conduct of Lieutenant 
Jackson, of the First Artillery. If devotion, industry, 
talent, and gallantry are the highest qualities of a soldier, 
then is he entitled to the distinction which their posses- 
sion confers.'' 

After the occupation of the city of Mexico, the Ameri- 
can officers and soldiers mingled freely with the citizens, 
many of whom received them very gladly and treated 
them as guests. Jackson, not understanding Spanish, 
could not carry on a conversation with the natives. To 
overcome this drawback to the pleasure of his stay in 
the city of Mexico, he determined to study the language. 
He accordingly bought a grammar, and by dint of hard 
study soon learned to read and speak the Spanish suffi- 
ciently well to make himself understood. He devoted 
a great deal of his time to study, but enjoyed very much 
the delightful climate of Mexico and the beautiful scenery 
around him. Among the friends he made in Mexico 
there was a Spanish gentleman, at whose house he was 
a frequent and always a welcome guest. He had several 
daughters, who were so charming that the gallant major 
confessed he had to suspend his visits to their father's 
house for fear of leaving his heart behind him on his 
return home. 



42 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

For the mere delight of living, Jackson considered 
that the city of Mexico excelled all others in the world. 
While there, he occupied one of the great chambers of 
the imperial palace. He made the acquaintance of the 
Archbishop of Mexico, and had several interviews with 
him, the subject discussed being generally the Roman 
Catholic religion. So little egotism had Jackson that 
he never spoke to his family of his achievements in 
Mexico. The only falsehood he ever remembered telling 
was when leading his men through a pass infested by 
Mexican guerillas. They became panic-stricken, and, 
when ordered to advance, refused to go. He stepped 
before them into the narrow pass, and, though he saw 
the broad leaves of the tropical plants around him rid- 
dled with balls, exclaimed, " Follow me, men ! Don't 
you see there is no danger?'' Knowing how rigid he was 
in after-life in his observance of the Sabbath, it sounds 
strange to hear of his joining, as we are assured that he 
did, in the Sunday evening dance in the gay capital of 
Mexico. 

From Mexico, Major Jackson was sent with his 
command to Fort Hamilton, upon Long Island. 



CHAPTER III. 



LEXINGTON. 



At Fort Hamilton, Jackson remained two years. 
While there, his thoughts dwelt much on religious sub- 
jects. In his intimate friend and commanding officer, 
Colonel Taylor, he found an adviser, and one who sym- 
pathized with him in his anxiety to know what church 
it would be best for him to join. Having never been 
christened, he at last determined to haye the rite ad- 
ministered by Mr. Parks, an Episcopal minister, in whose 
church he also took communion. 

On leaving Fort Hamilton, Jackson was sent to Fort 
Meade, near Tampa Bay, on the coast of Florida. There 
he found the chansce from the harsh climate of Xew 
York to the milder one of Florida very beneficial to 
his health, which was far from strong. He had found 
at Fort Hamilton that the life of a soldier shut up in a 
fort is far different from what it is when he is in the 
midst of all the excitement and activity of war. At 
Fort Meade also his active and energetic spirit chafed 
under the tedium of the idle, inactive life he w^as forced 
to lead. 

Jackson had not been many months at Fort Meade 
when he was relieved from the irksome life there by 
being elected Professor of Natural Philosophy and 
Artillery Tactics in the Virginia Military Institute at 
Lexington. Being weary of the idle life he was lead- 

43 



44 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

ing at the fort, he gladly accepted the appointment to 
a position ^vhere, besides the pleasure of instructing 
others, he would have an opportunity of continuing his 
own studies and increasing his knowledge. He resigned 
his position in the army, therefore, and went to Lex- 
ington in July, 1851. There he received a salary of 
twelve hundred dollars. He had had much bad health, 
which left his eye-sight very weak, and he made it a 
conscientious rule to take the best possible care of his 
eyes, and so long as they remained weak nothing could 
induce him to break the rule which he had laid down 
for himself, never to use them at night, not even to 
read a letter. As he had to study a great deal in order 
to fit himself for his duties as a professor, this was ex- 
tremely inconvenient, and, to any one with a less deter- 
mined w^ill than his, would have been an obstacle not to 
be overcome. 

Not being able to study at night, he read over during 
the day what he wished to study, and after tea moved 
his chair to one side, and, sitting apart from his family 
circle, at his desk, went over in his mind all that he had 
read. He thus fixed it in his memory, and had a clearer 
idea of it than if he had had the book before him. So 
strict was he in his observance of the Sabbath that he 
frequently did not read letters received on that day, for 
fear of their distracting his thoughts. A few months 
after going to Lexington to live, he joined the Pres- 
byterian Church. In Lexington, as elsewhere, it was 
the custom for members of this cliurch to meet in the 
middle of the week to join in a religious service, which 
was usually conducted by the pastor of the church. In 
these assemblages he often called upon individuals to 
lead in prayer. Jackson, though a constant attendant. 



LEXINGTON. 45 

from his extreme diffidence could only think with dread 
of being called on to pray before such a number of per- 
sons. Butj feeling it to be his duty to do his part in 
carrying on these services, he asked his pastor not to 
allow any feeling for his modesty to prevent his calling 
on him to pray. A short time afterwards, the pastor 
called on him. He began his prayer with such em- 
barrassment, and stammered through it with so much 
difficulty, that it was painful to hear him. After this 
attempt, several weeks passed without his being again 
called on. Feeling sure this was owing to his failure, 
he asked the pastor not to be deterred by this, but to 
call on him again. The minister did as requested, and 
Jackson's prayers in public were soon as good as any 
others made on similar occasions. Indeed, his stern 
sense of duty made him so far overcome his diffidence 
in public speaking that he once delivered a course of 
lectures on Christianity in the little village of Beverly, 
where he found the people very much given up to un- 
belief. He was zealous in discharging all the duties 
imposed on him as a member of his church. On one 
occasion, having to take up collections for the Bible 
Society, he succeeded even in getting some small contri- 
butions from free negroes, whom he persuaded to give 
their mite to the good work. 

There was no gloom in Jackson's religion. It shed 
perpetual sunshine on his pathway through life, soothing 
his cares and enlivening his joys. His perfect and child- 
like faith in God's goodness made him think that nothing 
could happen except for the best. A friend, who knew 
how ha])py and contented his disposition was, once said to 
him, "Suppose, major, you should lose your health with- 
out any hope of recovering it : do you think you could 



4G LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

be liappy ?" " Yes, I should be happy still/' he replied. 
^'But/' continued his friend, "suppose you should lose 
your eye-sight and become perfectly blind: would not 
that be too much for you?" "No," he replied, calmly. 
His friend, still persisting, then said, "Suppose, though, 
that besides losing your health and becoming entirely 
blind you should lose all your property, and so be 
left lying in bed a helpless invalid, dependent for sup- 
port on the charities of friends : -would not that be too 
much for you ?" Jackson was silent for a moment, and 
then said, in a reverent tone, " If it were the will of 
God to place me there. He would enable me to lie there 
peacefully a hundred years." 

He had been in Lexington a little over two years, 
when he married Miss Eleanor Junkin, on the 4th of 
August, 1853. After spending fourteen months of un- 
interrupted happiness with his young wife, she was torn 
from him by death, in the autumn of 1854. His grief 
for her was so great that his friends were alarmed about 
him; yet in his moments of bitterest agony his resigna- 
tion to God's will was unshaken. While still writhing 
under this sorrow, we find him writing to a friend 
(March, 1855), "Oh, do you not long to leave the flesh 
and mingle with the just made perfect?" 

The summer after his wife's death, Jackson went to 
AVestern Virginia, to visit once more the scenes of his 
youth. There he spent some time with his uncle and 
aunt Xeale, under wdiose hospitable roof some of the 
pleasantest days of his sad childhood had been passed. 
How tenderly he loved his mother's memory will be 
seen from the following extracts from a letter written 
to Mrs. Neale on his return from this trip. The letter 
is addressed to " Uncle and Aunt Neale." 



LEXINGTON. 47 

" Lexington, Sept. 4, 1855. 

" I stopped on my way to see the Hawk's Nest, and 
the gentleman with whom I put up was at mother's 
burial, and accompanied me to the cemetery for the 
purpose of pointing out her grave to me. But I am 
not certain that he found it: there was no stone to 
mark the spot. Another gentleman who had the kind- 
ness to go with us stated that a wooden head- or foot- 
board with her name on it had been put up; but it was 
no longer there. A depression in the earth only marked 
her resting-place. When standing by her grave, I ex- 
perienced feelings with which I was until then a stranger. 
I was seeking the spot partly for the purpose of erecting 
something to her precious memory. . . . 

" On Saturday last I lost my porte-monnaie, and in it 
was the date of mother's birthday. Please give me its 
date in your next." 

His friends, thinking change of scene might do him 
good, — for his health had given way under his con- 
tinued grief, — suggested that he should take a trip to 
Europe; and he accordingly spent the summer of 1856 
in traveling through England, France, Belgium, and 
Switzerland. From his boyhood he had longed to visit 
Europe and study the battle-fields of the great Napoleon, 
whom he admired more than any other great military 
leader the world had ever seen. He hastened to the 
field of Waterloo, and studied with all the zeal of an 
enthusiastic young soldier the positions of the armies 
there. When the time approached for his return to his 
post in Lexington, he sailed for America, leaving him- 
self ample time to get back to his class at the opening 
of the session. The steamer being, however, unexpect- 



48 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

edly delayed, he did not reach liome for a week or two 
after the appointed time. Plis friends, knowing how 
exact and punctual to the minute he was, thought this 
would be a very great annoyance to him. On his reach- 
ing home, one of them said to him, " Why, major, how 
have you stood the delay in getting back to your post? 
As you are so particular in keeping all appointments, 
we have taken it for granted that you were beside your- 
self with impatience.^^ " Not at all," he replied. " I 
set out to return at the proper time; I did my duty; 
the steamer was delayed by act of Providence, and I 
w^as perfectly satisfied.'' 

The idea of becoming a missionary must have often 
occurred to so zealous a Christian as Jackson, and just 
before leaving for Europe Ave find him, early in the sum- 
mer of 1856, writing to his aunt, Mrs. Neale, as follows: 

^' The subject of becoming a herald of the Cross, to 
which you alluded, has, often seriously attracted my 
attention, and I regard it as the most noble of all pro- 
fessions. It was the profession of our Divine Redeemer, 
and I should not be surprised were I to die on a foreign 
field, clad in the ministerial armor, fighting under the 
banner of Jesus. What could be more glorious ? But 
my present conviction is that I am doing some good, 
and for the present am where God would have me be. 
Within the last few days I have felt an unusual religious 
joy. I do rejoice to walk in the love of God." 

It was his habit to select some one with whom at 
regular times he would join in prayer, in order to gain 
the full benefit of the promise, " that if two of you shall 
agree on earth, as touching anything that they shall ask, 
it shall be done for them of my Father which is in 
heaven." Some one complaining to him on one occasion 






LEXINGTON. 49 

of not being able to understand what Avas meant by the 
command to ^^ pray ahvays" and ^' without ceasing,'^ 
he said, very modestly, that he would try to explain by 
showing how he understood and acted upon it. " For 
example/' he said, " when we take our meals, there is the 
grace. When I take a draught of water, I always pause 
as my palate receives the refreshment, to lift up my 
heart to God in thanks and prayer for the Avater of life. 
Whenever I drop a letter into the box at the post-office, 
I send a petition along with it for God's blessing upon 
its mission and upon the person to whom it is sent. 
When I break the seal of a letter just received, I stop 
to pray to God that He may prepare me for its contents 
and make it a messenger of good. When I go to my 
class-room and await the arrangement of the cadets in 
their places, that is my time to intercede with God for 
them. And so of every other act of the day. I have 
made the practice habitual, and can no more forget to 
pray at these different times than to forget to drink 
wdien I am thirsty." One of the first things which he 
did after joining the church was to build up a Sunday- 
school for the negroes living in Lexington; and he was 
most untiring in his efforts to give them religious in- 
struction. Tliose wdio have undertaken this task know 
how very disheartening it is; but Jackson's zeal in the 
good work never flagged, and he was rewarded by hav- 
ing a flourishing colored Sunday-school as long as he 
remained in Lexington. 

On the 15th of July, 1857, Major Jackson was mar- 
ried a second time, to Mary Ann Morrison. Her father. 
Dr. R. H. Morrison, is a gentleman of the old school, 
and an eminent Presbyterian divine of IN^orth Carolina. 

Jackson looked forward Avith inexpressible delight to 
c 5 



50 LIl^E OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

the time when he could have a home of his own. In 
writing to a friend, a short time after his marriage, he 
says, " We are still at the hotel, but expect on the 1st 

of January to remove to M 's home as boarders. I 

hope that in the course of time we shall be able to call 
some house our home, where we may have the pleasure 
of receiving a long visit from you. ... I shall never 
be content until I am at the head of an establishment 
in which my friends can feel at home in Lexington. I 
have taken the first important step by securing a wife 
capable of making a happy home. And the next thing 
is to give her an opportunity .'' 

The opportunity was not long wanting. He soon 
became the happy possessor of a house and garden; and 
no man ever enjoyed the calm and sweet pleasures of 
home-life more than himself. As times prospered with 
him, he was enabled to gratify the desire which always 
seems to be chief in the heart of every Virginian, — that 
of having a fLirm. The purchase and cultivation of a 
few acres proved him to be a most successful farmer. 
His negro slaves were devoted to him, and were trained 
by him to be excellent servants. 

Only those who saw Jackson at home, where he in- 
dulged freely in all the kind and tender feelings of his 
great and noble heart, can form a just idea of the love 
with which it was overflowing, or of the joyousness of 
his nature. There was nothing dark and gloomy in his 
disposition. The sunshine which dwelt in his heart 
shed its kindly light on all around him. He loved to 
use terms of endearment to those around him, and, as 
the sound of the Spanish language was more musical to 
his ears than that of the English, they were generally 
spoken by him in that tongue. So overflowing was his 



LEXINGTON. 51 

heart with love and tenderness for all, that the least 
unkind or cross word uttered in his household grated 
harshly on his ear and disturbed him not a little. On 
such occasions his usual gentle rebuke was, " Oh, that is 
not the way to be happy !" 

He took the greatest delight in his garden and farm, 
and most of his leisure hours were spent in working 
with his own hands in the former. His vegetables were 
the earliest and best of the neighborhood, and his farm, 
which was a stony piece of land when it came into his 
possession, became under his skillful management a 
fertile spot, and he used to say that the bread made on 
it tasted sweeter to him than that which was bought. 
He gave a certain portion yearly of all he made to chari- 
table objects. 

His life at home was regular, and scarcely ever varied 
from its daily routine. He rose at dawn, devoted a 
certain length of time to secret prayer, and, if the weather 
was not bad, took a solitary walk. At seven o'clock he 
had family prayers, at which all his servants were ex- 
pected to be present; but, with his usual punctuality, he 
never waited a minute for any one. Pie was engaged 
with his duties as professor from eight to eleven, at 
which hour he returned to his study. After reading his 
Bible attentively, he then prepared the lecture for his 
class on the following day, and gave up the rest of the 
time until dinner to his studies. From dinner until tea 
he usually gave himself to the rural ])ursuits of his 
garden and farm, which were so delightful to him. 
After tea his chair was pushed aside from the family 
circle, and he went over in his mind the studies of the 
morning. That task over, he spent the rest of the even- 
ing in conversation, which was frequently on literary 



52 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

subjects, or, Avhen the state of his eyes permitted, in 
reading. He read generally on these occasions history 
or English poetry. Now and then when an interesting 
novel fell into his hands it was eagerly devoured by 
him, and, if suffering too much with his eyes to read it 
at night, some member of his family read to him, while 
he Avas all attention. He never allowed such reading, 
however, to take him from his regular studies, and the 
novel was quickly thrown aside when it came in the 
way of these. 

We have a touching little anecdote preserved to us of 
Jackson, which shows him to have been tender-hearted 
and loving as a woman. A gentleman wdio once spent 
the night at his house Avas accompanied by his little 
daughter of four years. It w^as the first time that the 
child had ever been separated from its mother, and Jack- 
son, fearing it might miss the tender watchfulness of a 
woman's heart, suggested that it should be placed under 
Mrs. Jackson's kind care for the night. But the father 
objecting, the little one was left to rest upon his pillow. 
After the whole household had sunk into slumber, the 
gentleman was aroused from his sleep by some one lean- 
ing over his little daughter and drawing the cover more 
closely around her. It was Jackson. Anxious lest his 
little guest should miss her mother's tender care under 
his roof, he could not rest quietly until he had assured 
himself that all was well with the little one. 

The following extracts from his letters to Mrs. Jack- 
son speak for themselves : 

"April 25, 1857. 

" It is a great comfort to me to know that though I 
am not with you, yet you are in the hands of One who 
will not permit any evil to come nigh you. What a 



LEXINGTON. 53 

consoling thought it is to know that we may with per- 
fect confidence commit all our friends in Jesus to the 
care of our heavenly Father, with an assurance that all 
shall be well with them ! 

" I have been sorely disappointed at not hearing from 
you this morning ; but these disappointments are all de- 
signed for our good. In my daily walks I think much 
of you. I love to stroll abroad after the labors of the 
day are over and indulge feelings of gratitude to God 
for all the sources of natural beauty with which He has 
adorned the earth. Some time since, my morning walks 
were rendered very delightful by the singing of the 
birds. The morning caroling of the birds, and their 
notes in the evening, awaken in me devotional feelings of 
praise and gratitude, though very different in their nature. 
In the morning, all animated nature (man excepted) ap- 
pears to join in active expressions of gratitude to God; 
in the evening, all is hushing into silent slumber, and 
thus disposes the mind to meditation. And as my 
mind dwells on you, I love to give it a devotional turn, 
by thinking of you as a gift from our heavenly Father. 
How delightful it is thus to associate every pleasure and 
enjoyment with God the Giver ! Thus will He bless us, 
and make us grow in grace, and in the knowledge of 
Him whom to know aright is life eternal.'' 

"May 16, 1857. 

" There is something very pleasant in the thought 
of your mailing me a letter every Monday, and such 
manifestations of regard for the Sabbath must be well- 
pleasing in the sight of God. Oh that all our people 
would manifest such regard for His holy day ! If we 
would all strictly observe all His holy laws, what would 

not our country be ! 

5* 



54 1^1 l^J'^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON, 

" "When in prayer for yon last Sabbath, the tears came 
to my eyes. . ., . I felt that day as though it were 
a commnnion-day for myself.'^ 

In the following extracts we find him speaking to 
Mrs. Jackson of the different things about his house — 
the garden, fruits, horse, etc. — as '^ your garden," 
"your peaches." It was a favorite Avay he had of doing 
her a trifling honor. 

"Home, April 20, 1859. 

" Our potatoes are coming up. . . . We have had 
very unusually dry weather for nearly a fortnight, and 
your garden had been thirsting for rain till last evening, 
when the weather commenced changing, and to-day we 
have had some rain. Through grace given me from 
above, I felt that rain would come at the right time; 
and I don't recollect having ever felt so grateful for a 
rain as for the present one. 

" Last evening I sowed turnips between our peas. 

'' I was mistaken about your large garden-fruit being 
peaches. It turns out to be apricots, and I inclose you 
one which I found on the ground to-day. And, just 

think ! my little has a tree full of them. You 

must come home before they get ripe." 

So flowed by, peacefully and gently, the quiet life of 
our hero at Lexington. He rarely left home, except for 
a trip during the summer to the North or to the Virginia 
Springs. The time is now at hand when we are to see 
him go forth from the calm and hap]iy retreat of his 
little home into the storms of battle and war, never to 
return, but to leave a name honored and loved by a 
grateful country, and one which all ages will revere. 



CHAPTER lY. 

APPOINTED COLONEL. 

Major Jackson spent the summer of 1860 in New 
England. On his return home he declared that he 
had seen enough to convince him that war between 
the States was inevitable; and from that time he braced 
himself up for the coming storm. He was a silent but 
close observer of the stirring events which succeeded 
one another so rapidly during the winter of 1860-61. 
He early discerned the signs of the times, and fore- 
saw the fierce tempest which was to sweep over his own 
loved State. 

South Carolina having, on the 20th of December, 
1860, taken the lead in the solemn procession of States 
as one after another they withdrew their allegiance from 
the Union, others followed in rapid succession. On the 
9th of February, 1861, a Provisional Government was 
formed at Montgomery, Alabama, for a Confederacy 
composed then of the States of South Carolina, Missis- 
sippi, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. Jef- 
ferson Davis was chosen President, and Alexander H. 
Stephens Vice-President, of this Confederacy. 

Virginia remained undecided but calm during the 
progress of these grave events. The oldest State in the 
Union, and one whose statesmen had done more than 
those of any other of her sisters to form the Constitution 
which drew all the States under one general government, 

55 



56 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

she was loath to withdraw from it. Unwisely, perhaps, 
she delayed, hoping to heal the breach between the two 
sections. In the mean time, she drew upon herself the 
reproaches of her sister States in the South and the 
taunts and threats of those in the North. But, holding 
herself magnificently above both, she disregarded the 
reproaches of the one, as she held up a finger of warn- 
ing at the threats of the other. Events, however, were 
hurrying on more rapidly than slie thought. 

After the secession of South Carolina, the United 
States troops that occupied Fort Sumter, in Charleston 
harbor, were not Avithdrawn. After many delays, the 
Governor of South Carolina was informed by the United 
States Government that the garrison of the fort would 
be reinforced, '^ peaceably if they could, forcibly if they 
must.'^ The answer to this was the bombardment of 
Fort Sumter, which in a short time was battered to ruins. 
Then followed President Lincoln's proclamation de- 
claring Avar against South Carolina and the Confederate 
Government, and calling upon the States for seventy- 
five thousand men to form an army of invasion. 

Virginia now no longer saw" her course darkly. At 
the first certainty of danger to her sister States of the 
South, all hesitation vanished, and like a lioness she 
leaped into the arena, ready to do battle in their defense 
and in that of what she considered right. She did not 
hesitate to bare her bosom to the invader and to offer 
her fair fields as the battle-ground of a fierce struggle 
which for four years was to rage within her borders. 
On the 17th of April she seceded, and immediately 
began her preparations for war. The enthusiasm with 
which men of all ages and classes flew to arms was only 
equaled by that with which they were urged on by the 



APPOINTED COLONEL. 57 

women at home. As company after company marched 
out to battle, the white arms of the maidens Avaved 
them on to victory, while mothers and wives invoked a 
blessing from above upon the defenders of a cause for 
whose success all prayed with religious fervor. Devoted 
to duty, and earnest in his love for his State, Jackson 
had been no indifferent spectator of the strange and 
rapid course of events. A month before the secession 
of Virginia, and while in the opinion of many there 
was yet a hope of averting from the land the fierce 
scourge of war, Major Jackson, while lamenting the 
bare chance of war, yet expressed the opinion that it 
was inevitable. After alluding to all its horrors, and 
his great desire that his people might be spared them, 
he said, " It seems to me that if they would unite in 
prayer, war might be averted and peace preserved.^' In 
his public prayers after this that was one of the chief 
subjects of his petitions. But Heaven decreed other- 
wise, and he was destined to act a conspicuous part in 
the war whose horrors his prayers were unable to avert 
from his country. 

Having seceded, Virginia bent all her energies to 
make preparations for defense against the armies which 
were being rapidly enrolled to invade the South. As 
the news of her secession spread from one part of the 
country to the other, her sons belonging to either the 
army or the navy of the United States speedily resigned 
their commissions and hurried home to offer their ser- 
vices to their mother State, believing their first duty 
belonged to her. Thus in her hour of peril her children 
flocked into her borders from every clime, and she found 
willing hearts and wise heads to direct her preparations 
for defense. Foremost among her distinguished sons 



58 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

was Colonel Robert E. Lee. AVIien the news reached 
Richmond that he had resigned his commission and had 
declared his resolution never again to draw his sword 
save in defense of his native State, men who were op- 
pressed by the impending dangers breathed more freely. 
They felt they had a great leader to direct their armies, 
and from that moment until the day when he returned 
a paroled prisoner from the ill-fated banks of the Ap- 
pomattox he was the centre alike of the hopes and 
the affections of his countrymen. Colonel Lee was ap- 
pointed by his State major-general and made commander- 
in-chief of her forces. In organizing the material for 
her defense, one of his first steps was to form camps of 
instruction, the chief of which was on the outskirts of 
Richmond, and called after him Camp Lee. It was 
decided to call to this camp from the Virginia Military 
Institute the elder cadets, who could act as drill-masters 
and assist in organizing into an army the patriotic but 
untrained troops who poured in to offer their services in 
the defense of the country. On Major Jackson devolved 
the duty of taking the cadets to Richmond. In making 
their preparations for sending their volunteer companies 
into service, the people of Rockbridge had looked to 
Major Jackson for aid and advice. Their unbounded 
confidence in him as a man of sound practical sense, as 
well as in his skill and experience as a soldier, made 
them choose him as their counselor at this grave junc- 
ture. He had taken the deepest and most anxious 
Interest In the progress of events, and not without many 
gloomy forebodings of the future. On one occasion, 
about this time, having a friend as his guest, they sat 
up late, discussing the news from Washington and the 
South, which had become more and more exciting. 



APPOINTED COLONEL. 59 

Both the host and guest retired depressed by the thought 
that war was inevitable. The guest arose the next 
morning with tlie same gloomy feelings, and was sur- 
prised on meeting Jackson to find him in his usual calm 
and tranquil state of mind, and on expressing his own 
fearful forebodings, Jackson replied, "Why should the 
peace of a true Christian be disturbed by anything 
whicli man can do unto him ? Plas not God promised 
to make all things work together for good to them that 
love Him?" 

The meeting of the Presbyterian Synod in Lexington 
the week of the secession of Virginia had made the 
time unusually busy for Major Jackson, and on retiring 
to rest Saturday night he expressed the hope that the 
morrow (April 21) might prove a quiet Sabbath to 
him, which he could spend in undisturbed communion 
with his God. But how vain were his hopes ! With 
the early dawn came the order from Richmond for the 
senior cadets to go at once to that place, and, as their 
commander. Major Jackson busied himself with prepa- 
rations for their departure. 

Having concluded these, he called on his pastor, and 
asked him to be at their rendezvous at twelve o'clock, 
in order to give them some parting Christian counsel 
and a prayer. He returned home at eleven o'clock, ate 
a hurried breakfast, and retired with Mrs. Jackson to 
his chamber, and there, taking his Bible, read the fifth 
chapter of Second Corinthians, the eloquent words of 
whose opening display such faith in that sublime prom- 
ise of the resurrection : " For we know that if our 
earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved, we have a 
building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal 
in the heavens." He then knelt in prayer, and in a 



QO LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

voice choked ^vith tears implored God, if it were His 
will, to avert tlic horrors of war from his country. 

Thus breathing peace and good will towards all men, 
in close communion with lis ( ;od, and animated by an 
earnest devotion which could know no shadow of turn- 
ing, he went forth from his peaceful little home, and its 
doors closed upon him forever ! 

All things being in readiness, at twelve o'clock the 
pastor, Dr. White, was asked by ^lajor Jackson to have 
prayers, and also warned by him not to prolong them, 
by the remark, " Doctor, we march at one o'clock pre- 
cisely." The religious services being ended before the 
hour for departure had arrived, one of the officers said 
to Major Jackson, ^^ Major, everything is now ready; 
may we not set out?" The only reply was for the 
major to point to the dial-plate of the great clock; and 
not until the hand pointed to the hour of one did his 
voice ring out the order, ^' Forw^ard, march !" 

The cadets marched to Staunton, and went thence by 
rail to Richmond. From a depot east of the Blue 
Ridge, where their journey Avas interrupted for a short 
time. Major Jackson wrote to his wife, " Here, as well 
as at other points of the line, the war-spirit is in- 
tense. The cars had scarcely stopped here before a 
request was made that I would leave a cadet to drill a 
company." 

Having reached Richmond, he wrote to ]\Irs. Jackson, 
April 23, " Colonel Lee, of the army, is here, and has 
been made major-general. His services I regard as of 
more value to us than General Scott could render as com- 
mander. ... It is understood that General Lee is to be 
commander-in-chief. I regard him as a better officer 
than General Scott. . . . The cadets are encamped at the 



APPOINTED COLONEL. Ql 

fair-grounds, which are about one and a half miles from 
the city. AY e have excellent quarters. So far as we 
can hear, God is crowning our cause with success; but 
I do not wish to send rumors to you. I will try to give 
facts as they become known, though I may not have 
time for more than a line or so. The Governor and 
others holding responsible offices have not enough time 
for their duties, they are so enormous at this date." 

In the camp of instruction at Richmond, Major Jack- 
son found no duties worthy of his experience as a sol- 
dier. He was eager for active employment, and anxious 
for promotion, which, however, he would not solicit. 
But it could not be long withheld from such a man, 
and while awaiting it he did not hesitate to act the part 
of drill-master towards all the raw soldiers and officers 
who thronged Camp Lee and who might ask his in- 
struction. One day he was met by a man in the camp 
who told him he had just been assigned as corporal of 
the guard for the day ; that the officer who had given 
him the order had left him without instructions as to 
his duties, of which he was entirely ignorant, and that, 
seeing from his uniform that he was an officer, he had 
stopped him to beg his aid. Major Jackson at once 
went with the soldier around the camp, and gave him 
all the necessary instructions, and that with such kind- 
ness and cheerfulness of manner that from that hour he 
was the object of the soldier's love and respect. 

A few days after he reached Camp Lee, ^lajor Jackson 
was chosen by the Executive AVar Council to receive an 
appointment in the engineer department, with the rank 
of major. The place was the one of all others most 
distasteful to him, offi}ring as it did but little hope of 
promotion, and of that usefulness which he felt sure 



62 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

he could best render his country on the field of battle. 
At the urgent request of his friends, therefore, the ap- 
pointment was withdrawn, and he received instead a 
commission as colonel of the Virginia forces, and was 
ordered to take command at Harper's Ferry. When, 
on the day following, his appointment was read out in 
the Convention for confirmation, a member from the 
floor asked, " Who is this JNIajor Jackson, that we are 
asked to commit to him so responsible a post?" " He is 
one,'^ replied the member from Rockbridge, " who, if you 
order him to hold a post, will never leave it alive to be 
occupied by the enemy.'' On the morning of Saturday, 
April 27, his commission as colonel w^as placed in his 
hands, and he at once set out for his command. After 
joining it, he wrote the following letter to his wife : 

*« Winchester, April 29. 
" I expect to leave here about half-past two p.m. to- 
day for Harper's Ferry. I am thankful to say that an 
ever-kind Providence, who causeth all things to work 
together for good to them that love Him, has given me an 
independent command. To His name be all the praise. 
You must not expect to hear from me very often, as I 
expect to have more work than I ever had in the same 
length of time before ; but don't be concerned about me, 
as an ever-kind Father will give me all needful aid." 



CHAPTER Y. 



HARPER S FERRY. 



Harper's Ferry is surrounded by scenery the beauty 
and magnificence of which must ever charm and awe 
the beholder. The village lies on the declivities of a 
ridge called Bolivar Heights, which runs along the neck 
of land that separates the Potomac and Shenandoah 
Rivers just before their junction. Standing on the 
Bolivar Heights, the spectator sees on his right the 
Shenandoah, which, having for a hundred miles hugged 
the Blue Ridge in search of an outlet, at last approaches 
one; on his left comes the Potomac; the two streams 
unite and rush through the mountains, which at some 
remote age has been cleft to its base by the rush of their 
w^aters. Through the cleft is seen, stretching far away 
into the distance, a broad, rich, and slightly undulating 
plain, whose pale, faintly-seen horizon is in striking 
contrast to the gigantic scenery of the foreground. The 
Potomac, having broken through the Blue Ridge, con- 
tinues on its way to the ocean. The heights on the Vir- 
ginia side at this point are called the Loudon Heights, 
and those on the opposite side the Maryland Heights. 
Both tower above Bolivar Heights, and the village at 
their feet. Harper's Ferry was selected by the Federal 
Government as a point at which to establish manufac- 
tures of fire-arms, and arsenals wherein to store them, 
and the banks of both streams were lined with factories, 

63 



(34 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

where thousands of arms were yearly turned out. As 
soon as the war broke out, the possession of this place, 
with its arms and munitions of war, became of immense 
importance to Virginia, and the militia companies of the 
surrounding country flew to arms to effect its capture. 
But ihe officer in command of the Federal guard at the 
place, receiving timely notice of their designs, set fire to 
the arsenals and factories, and fled. The Virginia troops 
entered the town to find the arms in the arsenals de- 
stroyed, with the exception of those which had been 
removed and secreted by patriotic citizens of the village ; 
but the factories were saved. 

Harper's Ferry now became the rendezvous of all the 
troops of the Valley of Virginia, and it was the com- 
mand of these, and of others sent to reinforce them, that 
was given to Colonel Jackson when he received his com- 
mission in the Virginia service. There were at Harper's 
Ferry twenty-five hundred men, — four hundred being 
Kentuckians and the rest Virginians. This force con- 
sisted of eight companies of infantry, and four bat- 
teries of field-artillery, with fifteen light guns. Three 
regiments of the infantry were partially organized ; but 
the rest of these hastily-assembled troops presented pretty 
much a confused mass of men, many of Avhom had no 
arms. To organize this force, to urge on the completion 
of arms at the factories, and to keep possession of all 
the roads leading to Washington, were the orders given 
to Colonel Jackson by General Lee when he was sent 
to Harper's Ferry. He Avent, accompanied by Major 
Preston, Colonel Massie, and two young men whom he 
employed as drill-masters. 

The new commander lost no time in executing the 
orders which he had received, and soon order prevailed 



HARPER'S FERRY. 65 

where all had been chaos and confnsion. The troops, 
who were raw recruits and were wearied with the con- 
fusion and want of discipline of an unorganized com- 
mand, had been clamoring for leave to go home ; but a 
few days after Jackson's arrival they found that a new 
man was in the saddle, and under his firm and wise rule 
soon became disciplined troops. The few who made any 
show of disobedience to orders were either so sternly 
rebuked or so swiftly punished that none dared follow 
their example. 

The village of Harper's Ferry, being situated on the 
slope of Bolivar Heights, Avas completely commanded 
by the Maryland Heights, on the north side of the 
Potomac, — those heights towering far above both the 
village and Bolivar Heights. It was very important 
then to the Virginians for the Maryland Heights not to 
fall into the hands of the enemy. Maryland, however, 
had not yet seceded, and it was suggested that it would 
look too much like invasion for the Virginians to take 
possession of them. General Lee, with his usual dislike 
of anything approaching the violation of a country's 
laws, proposed that the INIarylanders should be induced 
to enlist in the Southern army, and then they should be 
allowed to occupy and hold the important position; but 
that plan was soon abandoned. Colonel Jackson, feel- 
ing more and more the danger of his position so long 
as the Maryland Heights were not in his possession, 
quietly took the whole matter in his own hands and 
seized them. He placed a few companies of soldiers on 
the Heights, in block-houses which he had constructed 
for their quarters, and, acting as his own engineer, threw 
up a few in trench ments to aid in their defense should 
they be attacked. 



QQ LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

On the 8th X)f May, lie wrote to Mrs. Jackson, " I 
am living at j^resent in an elegant mansion, with Major 
Preston in my room. Mr. Massie is on my staff, 
bnt left this morning for Kichmond as bearer of dis- 
])atches, and is to return in a few days. I am strength- 
ening my position, and, if attacked, shall, with the 
blessing of the kind providence of that God w^ho has 
always been with me, and who, I firmly believe, will 
never forsake me, repel the enemy. I am in good 
health, considering the great labor which devolves on 
me and the loss of sleep to which I am subjected." 

As matters then stood. Harper's Ferry w^as consid- 
ered the most important position in Virginia. There it 
was thought blood would first be shed, as the handful 
of men whom Colonel Jackson commanded was con- 
stantly in danger of being attacked by a large number 
of United States troops that had been collected together 
and placed under command of Major-General Patterson. 
Colonel Jackson's spirits rose as the dangers of his po- 
sition increased. In his dispatches to the Government 
he expressed his intention of making a Thermopylae of 
his position, should it be necessary, and declared that it 
would be defended to the death. Like a true soldier, 
he spoke but little of his plans, and kept the number of 
troops under his command perfectly secret. On one 
occasion, wdiile in command at Harper's Ferry, he was 
visited by a committee from the Legislature of Mary- 
land. They came to inquire into his plans. He re- 
ceived them with perfect politeness and courtesy, but 
they could not discover anything from him. When 
they asked him how^ many troops he had, his reply 
was, " I should be glad if Lincoln thought I had fifteen 
thousand." 



HARPER'S FERRY. 67 

On the 20th of ^lay the Confederate Congress ad- 
joiirned from Columbia to Richmond, which place was 
henceforth the capital of the Confederate States, Vir- 
ginia having adopted the Confederate Constitution and 
been received into the Confederacy. Thus the United 
States Government received as a reply to its declaration 
of war the removal of the seat of government of the 
Southern Confederacy to a place almost within hearing 
of the guns around its own capital. 

All the Virginia forces and munitions of war were 
turned over to the Confederate Government. One of 
the first acts of this Government was to appoint as com- 
mander of Harper's Ferry General Joseph E. Johuston, 
a man whose skill and experience it was thought made 
him the most suitable commander for such an important 
post. But Colonel Jackson, having received no orders 
from the Virginia authorities to surrender his trust, 
declined to do so until he should receive an intimation 
to that effect from General Lee. For a short time it 
was feared that this determination on the part of Colonel 
Jackson might bring about a disagreeable feeling between 
General Johnston and himself; but, fortunately, a com- 
munication was received soon after General Johnston's 
arrival from General Lee, in which he referred to Gen- 
eral Johnston as commander of Harper's Ferry. Col- 
onel Jackson, considering this as a sufficient evidence 
that he was to surrender his trust, hastened to hand 
over the command to General Johnston, and in the 
campaigns which they afterwards fought together their 
intercourse was of the most agreeable and friendly 
character. 

On being relieved from the command of Harper's 
Ferry, Jackson was put in command of a brigade com- 



68 LJFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

posed of the 2d A^irginia Regiment, commanded by 
Colonel Allen ; the 4th, commanded by Colonel Pres- 
ton ; the 5th, commanded by Colonel Harper ; the 27th, 
commanded by Colonel Gordon ; and, later, the 33d, 
commanded by Colonel Cummings. This was the 
brigade which lives in history as the " Stonewall Bri- 
gade.'^ Attached to it was a battery of light field-guns 
from Lexington, commanded by the Rev. Mr. Pendle- 
ton, an Episcopal clergyman, who had graduated at 
West Point before studying for the ministry. Colonel 
Jackson's brigade staff was composed of Major Frank 
Jones, Adjutant ; Lieutenant-Colonel James W. Massie, 
Aide-de-Camp ; Dr. Hunter INIcGuire, Medical Direc- 
tor; Major William Hawkes, Chief Commissary ; Major 
John Harmon, Chief Quartermaster; and Lieutenant 
Alexander Pendleton. 

In the mean time, the Federal general Patterson, who 
had been threatening Harper's Ferry, moved off from 
that point and approached the Potomac higher up, l)y 
the Pennsylvania Valley. Harper's Ferry then became 
useless as a point of defense against the Federal forces 
under his command. These, it was suspected, he in- 
tended to unite at Winchester with those under General 
McClellan, who was then advancing from Northwestern 
Virginia. General Johnston at once decided to take his 
army to Winchester. He therefore abandoned Harper's 
Ferry on Sunday, June 16, after having destroyed the 
railroad bridge and Government factories, and having 
removed all the heavy guns and stores. 

This move was not made an hour too soon, for already 
the advance of the Federal army from the northwest was 
reported to be at Romney, only forty miles west of Win- 
chester ; while General Patterson with eighteen thousand 



HARPER'S FERRV. (39 

men was crossing the Potomac at Williamsport, about 
the same distance to the north. General Johnston, after 
marching eight miles in the direction of Winchester, 
turned towards the west to oppose Patterson. With 
this view, he chose a wooded range of highlands between 
Winchester and Martinsburg, known as Bunker Hill ; 
but General Patterson, hearing of his approach, hastily 
withdrew to the north bank of the Potomac. Concern- 
ing these movements Colonel Jackson thus wrote to his 
wife : 

" Tuesday, June 18. 
"On Sunday, by order of General Johnston, the entire 
force left Harper's Ferry, passed through Charlestown, 
and halted for the night about two miles this side. The 
next morning we moved towards the enemy, who were 
between Martinsburg and Williamsport, Maryland, and 
encamped for the night at Bunker Hill. The next morn- 
ing we were to have marched at sunrise, and I hoped 
that in the evening or this morning we would have 
engaged the enemy ; but, instead of doing so, General 
Johnston made some disposition for receiving the enemy 
if they should attack us, and thus we were kept until 
about twelve A.M., when he gave the order to return 
towards Winchester. At about sunrise we reached this 
place, which is about three miles north of Winchester, 
on the turnpike leading thence to Martinsburg. When 
our troops on Sunday w^ere marching on the enemy, 
they wTre so inspirited as apparently to forget the 
fatigue of ih^ march, and though some of them were 
suffering from hunger, this and all other privations ap- 
peared to be forgotten, and the march continued at the 
rate of three miles per hour ; and when they Avere ordered 
to retire, their reluctance was manifested by their snail- 



70 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

like pace. I hope the general will do something soon. 
Since we have left Harper's Ferry, something of an 
active movement towards repelling the enemy is, of 
conrse, expected. I trust that through the blessing of 
God we will soon be given an opportunity of driving 
the invaders from this region.'' 

His delight at having his brigade placed in the 
advance-guard of this little army of the Valley is shown 
in the following extract from a letter to Mrs. Jackson : 

" The troops have been divided into brigades, and the 
Virginia forces under General Johnston constitute the 
first brigade, of which I am in command. I am very 
thankful to our kind heavenly Father for having given 
me such a fine brigade. He does bless me beyond my 
expectations, and infinitely beyond my deserts. I ought 
to be a devoted follow^er of the Redeemer." 

The United States forces approaching from the north- 
west had about this time retired before Colonel A. P. 
Hill, who had been sent towards E,omney with a small 
body of Confederate troops to oppose them. On the 
19th of June, Colonel Jackson was ordered to move 
with his brio^ade north of Martinsburir, and there watch 
the enemy, Avho had regained courage enough to begin 
once more to cross the Potomac. But on the approach 
of Colonel Jackson they again beat a retreat. 

At Martinsburg the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 
Company had extensive workshops and depots, which 
contained forty of the finest locomotives, together with 
three hundred freight-cars. Instead of removing all 
these to Winchester, and tliereby securing them for the 
use of the Confederate Government, Colonel Jackson 
received an order to destroy the whole. He had 



HARPERS FERRY. 71 

nothing to do but to obey, and he writes of it to Mrs. 
Jackson, — 

" It was a sad work ; but I had my orders, and my duty 
was to obey. If the cost of the property could have been 
expended in disseminating the gospel of the Prince of 
Peace, how much good might have- been expected!" 

Colonel Jackson remained with his brigade and with 
Colonel J. E. B. Stuart and his cavalry regiment, on 
his front north of Martinsburg, until July 2, when 
he first crossed swords with the enemy. The orders 
given him by his commander were to watch the enemy, 
and to fall back on the Confederate forces for support 
should he advance in full force. At length, on July 
2, for the third time. General Patterson ventured to 
cross the Potomac, and advanced in the direction of 
Jackson's camp. This bold officer at once moved for- 
ward to meet him with the 5th Virginia Regiment, a 
few companies of cavalry, and a single light field-piece 
of Captain Pendleton's battery. He left orders to the 
rest of his command to move their baggage to the rear, 
and to be ready to march either forward or backward at 
a minute's warning. 

Half-way between Martinsburg and the Potomac, 
near a little church called the " Falling Water Church," 
he met the van-guard of the enemy, which he attacked 
and drove back. Their reinforcements coming up, they 
again moved forward, and were again driven back. He 
had posted his infantry behind the buildings and in- 
closures of a farm-house and barn which stood on either 
side of the road, when he discovered that the enemy, 
having found out how small was his force, were pushing 
forward an extended line of infantry, with the intention 
of surrounding him. 



72 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J JACKSON. 

His little force, from the houses which they occupied 
and from behind the fences, poured forth a galling fire 
until the enemy were about to close them in. Then, 
bringing up his little field-piece to cover their retreat, 
he withdrew his men and retired, skirmishing with the 
enemy until he met the army four miles south of Mar- 
tinsburg hurrying to his support. This combat is known 
as that of Haines's Farm, and in it Colonel Jackson had 
only three hundred and eighty men engaged, and one 
piece of artillery. To push this little force out of their 
path occupied the enemy from nine o'clock in the morn- 
ing until the middle of the day, with three thousand 
men and a full battery of artillery. In this engage- 
ment Colonel Jackson had two men killed and ten 
wounded. The enemy, besides losing forty-five pris- 
oners, had many killed and Avounded. It was the first 
time that Jackson's men had ever "smelt gunpowder;" 
yet he said that " both officers and men behaved beauti- 
fully." His skill in handling his troops, his coolness 
under fire, and his feeling for and kind attentions to the 
wounded, proved to his men that they had a commander 
who was as kind and unselfish as he was brave and 
skillful, and from that time he could never lead where 
they would not follow. 

While these movements were going on, others of great 
importance were being made in other parts of Virginia, 
the chief of which was the organization of an army 
by General Beauregard at Manassas Junction. This 
point is about twenty-five miles southwest of Alexan- 
dria, where the Orange and Alexandria Railroad is met 
by the Manassas Gap Railroad, which runs west through 
the Blue Ridge into the Valley of Virginia. The gap 
through which this railroad passes, and from which it 



HARPER'S FERRY. 73 

took its name, was called Manassas, after a poor Jew 
bearing that name who once lived there. 

Manassas Junction was at once deemed a place of 
importance, as it commanded the road leading to Gor- 
donsville, and thence south and west to Richmond and 
Charlottesville, and also the JNIanassas Gap Road, which 
led into the Valley. The United States troops which 
were assembled to assail this point were commanded by 
General McDowell, and to be in readiness for his attack 
now became the aim of the Confederate authorities, and 
to accomplish this all their energies were bent. General 
Johnston was then acting in concert with Beauregard at 
Manassas while directing the movements of his little 
army at the mouth of the Valley. It was his aim so 
to manoeuvre as to prevent General Patterson from with- 
drawing his forces from the Upper Potomac and carry- 
ing them to join McDowelPs army, Avhich already far 
outnumbered the one under Beauregard. Besides Gen- 
eral Patterson's army, there was another of equal size 
under the United States generals McClellan and Rose- 
crans in Northwestern Virginia, which was confronted by 
a small Confederate force under General Garnett. This 
force was enabled to hold its own until July, Avhen it Avas 
utterly defeated, and its victors were left free to move 
their forces, if they chose, to swell the ranks of McDow- 
ell's army. But General Johnston's movements held 
these forces also in check. We have already seen how 
their van-guard was repulsed at Romney by General A. 
P. Hill. Plad General Johnston remained at Harper's 
Ferry, he could only have reached General Beauregard 
by a circuitous route, Avhile General Patterson could at 
any time have thrown his army into Washington by 
means of the Baltimore Railroad so long as he remained 



74 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

near Harper's Ferry. Once in Washington, he would 
have been at McDowell's back, ready to support hirn. 
By ascending the Potomac, he left General Johnston 
free to leave Harper's Ferry and to move in such a di- 
rection as to shorten and make more direct the distance 
between himself and Beauregard. 

After the show of resistance made to the advance of 
Patterson's army by Colonel Jackson in the engagement 
at Haines's Farm, Jackson, as we have seen, retreated 
before him to a point four miles south of Martinsburg, 
where he was met by the rest of the Confederate forces. 
General Patterson then occupied Martinsburg. General 
Johnston was with his little army four miles distant, at 
the village of Darkesville, and daily oifered him battle, 
which he daily declined. The skillful Johnston, how- 
ever, as persistently refused to gratify the wishes of his 
men by attacking the enemy in Martinsburg. Thus 
passed four days; at the end of Avhich time the Con- 
federate commander fell back to Winchester. 

On arriving in Winchester, Colonel Jackson received 
the following note : 

" KiCHMOND, 3d July, 1861. 

" My dear General, — I have the pleasure of send- 
ing you a commission of brigadier-general in tlie Pro- 
visional army, and to feel that you merit it. May 
your advancement increase your usefulness to the State. 
"Very truly, R. E. Lee." 

His pleasure and agreeable surprise at this promotion 
are shown in the following extract from a letter to Mrs, 
Jackson : " I have been officially informed of my pro- 
motion to be a brigadier-general of the Provisional 
army of the Southern Confederacy. My promotion is 



HARPER'S FERRY. 75 

beyond what I anticipated, as I only expected it to be 
in the volunteer forces. One of the greatest [grounds 
of] desires for advancement is the gratification it will 
give you, and of serving my country more efficiently. 
Through the blessing of God, I now have all that I 
ought to desire in the line of promotion. I would be 
very ungrateful if I were not contented and exceedingly 
thankful to our heavenly Father. May his blessing 
ever rest on you, is my fervent prayer.'' 

General Johnston's withdrawal to Winchester served 
as a decoy to Patterson, who, on the 15th of July, ad- 
vanced to Bunker Hill. As soon as he appeared, John- 
ston marched out and offered him battle. He again 
declined the challenge, and, pausing in his advance, 
stretched out his left wing eastward in the direction of 
the little village called Smithfield. This manoeuvre at 
once unmasked his plans to General Johnston, who saw 
he was endeavoring to steal a march U23on him and 
reach Manassas first. But the Federal commander little 
knew with whom he had to deal. 



CHAPTER VI. 

MANASSAS. 

Manassas was now, alike for the North and for the 
South, the centre of hope and expectation. The day on 
wliich the two armies were first to meet in shock of 
battle was anxiously expected by both sides, but with 
far different feelings. The North looked forward to it 
with all the impatient arrogance of a nation who, under- 
rating the courage and resources of her adversary, and 
intoxicated with the sight of her own wealth in men 
and money, anticipated an easy triumph over an ill- 
disciplined rabble. By the South the long-expected day 
was awaited with calmness and confidence. Aware that 
the North had the whole world open to her whence 
to draw men and supplies, while the Southern ports 
were all closed, the people of the South, though cut off 
from all foreign aid, yet awaited with perfect self-reli- 
ance the issue. They felt that the result of the first 
combat must depend on the individual pluck of the 
men composing each army, and, such being the case, 
had no fear. But as the time for the struggle drew 
near, the feeling throughout the country became deeper 
and deeper, the pain of anxious suspense more and 
more intense, until at last, on the 16th of July, silently 
but swiftly the news ran through the South that the 
enemy had begun their advance. 

Around Manassas Junction itself there w^as only a 
76 



MANASSAS. 77 

simple circuit of earthworks mounted by a few cannon. 
A few miles to the northeast is a high ridge, on which 
lies the little village of Centreville ; between it and 
the Ju-'ction runs a little stream called Bull Run, and 
along its banks and heights the battle was to be fought. 
This stream runs from west to east, and flows into Occo- 
quan Hiver. The banks, as a general thing, are rocky 
and steep, and are higher on the northern than on the 
southern side, thus giving the advancing army the ad- 
vantage of position. The little stream abounds in good 
fords, which in summer are very shallow, so that it can 
be. easily crossed at that season. 

General Beauregard's advance-guard, which was sta- 
tioned at Fairfax Court-House, was driven in by Gen- 
eral McDowell's advance on the 17th of July. The 
United States army, sixty thousand strong, splendidly 
equipped, and exultant over their anticipated success, 
moved forward as if to an easy victory. The cry of 
" On to Richmond !" rose from their ranks, and was re- 
echoed by the people in their rear. Never did an army 
rush into battle more hopeful of success than did that 
under General McDowell. Never did a people wait 
more impatiently to hear the shouts of triumph than did 
those of the North. Everything had been arranged for 
a grand entrance into Richmond when the city should 
be captured. Too eager for the ncAVS of triumph to 
wait for it to be brought to them, many persons, of both 
sexes, left Washington and followed in the rear of the 
advancing army, that they might be, if possible, eye- 
witnesses of the battle. 

The enemy, having driven in the advance-guard of 
Beauregard's army and marched through Centreville, 
were on the 18th of July repulsed at every point at 

"7* 



78 LJFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

which they attempted to cross Bull Ilun. This fight, 
known as the battle of Bull Run, served to check their 
advance, and left time for the Southern army to receive 
reinforcements. 

While watching General Patterson's movements, and 
ready to move with his little army in any direction on 
a minute's warning. General Johnston received at one 
o'clock on the morning of the 18th of July a tele- 
graphic dispatch informing him of the advance of the 
enemy on General Beauregard, and calling on him to 
hasten to his aid. His tents Avere therefore struck early 
in the day on the 18th, and his army was ordered under 
arms, — as the men all thought, to attack the enemy in 
their front. Great, then, was their disappointment when 
they were ordered to turn their backs on Patterson, and 
were marched away from him. Colonel Stuart was left 
to watch the movements of the harmless Patterson, and, 
by presenting a bold front, to make him believe General 
Johnston was still present with the rest of the army. 
This was most successfully accomplished. Through 
Winchester the Southern troops marched. The inhab- 
itants watched their departure with troubled hearts, and 
asked sadly if they were to be left to the mercy of the 
enemy. The soldiers shook their heads sorroAvfully, 
and reluctantly continued their march. When, how- 
.ever, they had gone four miles beyond Winchester, 
General Johnston ordered a halt, and an order in the 
following stirring words was read : " Our gallant army 
under General Beauregard is noAV attacked by over- 
whelming numbers ; the commanding general ho2)Cs 
that his troo])S v/ill step out like men and make a forced 
march to save the country." Instantly the air was rent 
with shouts of joy. Men who had lagged back before 



MAXASSAS. 79 

now pressed eagerly forward. All was animation and 
life where before there had only been sullen obedience. 
The Shenandoah had to be crossed, and into it the men 
rushed, though the water Avas waist-deep. On they 
hurried in their forced march, and, reaching the Blue 
Ridge, toiled up its sides where the road passes through 
Ashby's Gap. They did not pause in their march until 
they reached Paris, a little village on the crest of the 
mountain. 

Arrived at Paris at two o'clock in the night, the whole 
command was halted to rest. Jackson's men were 
marched into a beautiful grove inclosed by a fence, and 
there, foot-sore and wearied with the long and hurried 
march, the men threw theaiselves on the ground and 
soon sank into profound sleep. In a little while one of 
the officers approached Jackson, and, telling him that no 
sentinels had been posted, asked if he should not waken 
some of the men and put them on guard. '' No," 
replied Jackson ; " let the poor fellows sleep. I will 
guard the camp myself." And during the rest of that 
quiet summer's night his tall figure was seen moving 
around the camp to see that all was well, or sitting on 
the fence calmly watching the peaceful slumber of the 
brave men lying at his feet. His aides offered several 
times to keep guard in his stead, but he would not give 
up his post until a short time before the dawn of day, 
when he lay down in a corner of the fence on a pile 
of leaves, and was soon enjoying that rest which he had 
so nobly secured to his wearied troops. At dawn he 
was again up and arousing his men to continue their 
march. They reached Piedmont Station, at the foot of 
the Blue Ridge, a point about midway between Win- 
chester and Manassas, and thirty miles from each, when 



80 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

they were placed on trains to take them to INIanassas on 
Friday morning (July 19). But for a collision, which 
was, perhaps rightly, attributed to treachery, the whole 
army would have reached Manassas Junction on Friday 
morning. As it was, however, General Jackson was 
fortunate enough to be among the first, and to arrive 
with his command at the Junction on Friday night. 

After such a march, rest was absolutely necessary for 
the men, and accordingly Saturday was given up to that, 
they having been marched directly to Mitchell's Ford 
from the Junction on Friday night. 

The enemy, in the mean while, after the repulse at 
Bull Run on the 18th, was rallying all his forces for 
the great battle of the 21st. General Johnston reached 
^lanassas about noon on Saturday, the 20th, and, as 
senior officer, was entitled to the command of the army 
and the direction of all its movements; but the battle 
was too close at hand for him to make himself suffi- 
ciently acquainted with the nature of the ground and 
of the enemy's positions. He therefore intrusted all 
with perfect confidence to the skill and knowledge of 
General Beauregard. That intrepid and energetic officer 
had no intention of waiting for the enemy's attack. 
His army was divided into eight brigades, which occu- 
pied the southern banks of Bull Run, along Avhich they 
were placed in the following positions : Brigadier-Gen- 
eral Ewell's on the extreme right, at Union Mills 
Ford ; Britvadier-General D. R. Jones's at McLean's 
Ford; Brigadier-General Longstreet's at Blackburn's 
Ford; Brigadier-General Bonham's at Mitchell's Ford; 
Colonel Cocke's at Ball's Ford, about three miles above; 
and Colonel Evans, with a regiment and battalion, 
held the extreme left at Stone Bridge. In the rear 



MANASSAS. gl 

of the right were placed two brigades in reserve. The 
rest of the army of the Shenandoah was expected to 
arrive in the night of Saturday. It was feared that 
Patterson, having at length discovered that the bird had 
flown, might push forward and unite his troops with 
McDowell on the 22d. This made it of the utmost im- 
portance to the Confederates that the battle should be 
fought on the 21st. 

General Beauregard proposed a plan of battle, which 
General Johnston approved. Beauregard then drew up 
the necessary order during the night, and it was sub- 
mitted to General Johnston, and received his approval 
at half-past four in the morning of the 21st. But the 
remainder of the army of the Shenandoah did not arrive, 
and that, with some early movements of the enemy's 
troops on the Confederate left, prevented General Beau- 
regard from carrying into execution his plan of attack. 
He then proposed to alter the plan, and let the Con- 
federate left stand on the defensive, while the right 
made an attack. But the movements of the enemy's 
lines now became too active to render such an attack 
possible, and a battle followed diiferent from any that 
had been planned by the Confederate commander. 

The enemy began his firing upon the Confederate 
lines soon after sunrise, and, while making a shoAV of 
attack upon their centre and right, marched the mass of 
his trooj)S around through the woods on his right, and 
crossed Bull Run two miles above the Confederate left, 
and thus threw himself upon their flank and rear posi- 
tion. Fortunately for the Confederates, this move was 
discovered in time for them to swing their line of battle 
around and face the enemy, so that,, instead of its run- 
ning along the bank of Bull Eun, the point on that 



82 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

stream held by tlie left became in reality their right, 
while the line was formed at right angles to the stream 
and made to extend to the south of it. 

When Colonel Evans, who, as we have seen, held the 
extreme left of the Confederate line, found that the 
enemy had crossed Bull Run two miles above his posi- 
tion and was marching down upon his left flank, he 
moved to his left with eleven companies and two field- 
pieces, and, under cover of the woods, arranged his little 
force to receiv^e the attack of the enemy, who rushed 
down upon him w^ith overwhelming numbers. 

Generals Johnston and Beauregard placed themselves, 
about eight o'clock, on a hill in the rear of General 
Bonham's position at Mitchell's Ford, and, seeing the 
enemy's forces coming down on the Confederate left, 
they at once ordered General Bee, who had been placed 
near Colonel Cocke's position. Colonel Hampton, and 
General Jackson, to move immediately to the left flank. 
General Bee, with a soldier's instinct, followed the sound 
of the firing and formed his troops near the Henry 
House. Finding, however, that Colonel Evans was 
sorely pressed by the enemy, he crossed a little valley 
which lay between his forces and those under Colonel 
Evans, and, forming on his right and a little in advance 
of his position, withstood with him the furious on- 
slaught of the enemy. The Confederates were strug- 
gling against immense odds, their numbers at this point 
being only five regiments, with six howitzers, while those 
of the enemy were over fifteen thousand. The deter- 
mined valor of the Confederates was beyond all praise, 
as they withstood one attack after another from the 
enemy, who threw regiment after regiment on the fiekl 
in \]\G, hope of enveloping this gallant little band. 



MANASSAS, 83 

For one hour they stood their ground and held the 
United States army at bay. In that immortal struggle 
the 4th Alabama and the 8th Georgia covered them- 
selves with glory. At last, shattered and broken, this 
gallant little band were forced to retreat, but not until 
so ordered by the heroic Bee. They then fell back to 
General Bee's original position on the plateau of the 
Henry House. General Jackson, in the mean time, had 
reached the scene of action and formed his brigade under 
the crest of this plateau. On the arrival of General 
Bee and his shattered forces. General Jackson proposed 
to him to form a new line, of which he should form the 
centre, and Bee, after rallying his men in his rear, should 
be on the right. The position chosen by General Jack- 
son was one of great strength, being a long ridge run- 
ning at right angles to Bull Ilun, the northern end com- 
manding Stone Bridge, while the southern end and the 
eastern slope were covered with woods, and the western 
slope, which fronted the enemy, descended gently and 
commanded the valley and every approach from that 
side. On this plateau, in the space between the United 
States and the Confederate lines, Avere situated two farm- 
houses, now known in history as the Bobinson and 
Henry Houses. With his flanks and rear protected by 
woods. General Jackson then formed his line of battle 
on this ridge. Two guns of Stanard's battery were 
hastily placed in position, and, through the skill and* 
precision with which they were handled, served to keep 
the enemy's advance in check while the rest of the line 
was formed. 

The artillery was placed a^ong the crest of the ridge 
in such a manner that while the guns swept the enemy's 
ranks the gunners were still protected. As they came 



8-4 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

up, the cliiferent pieces of artillery were placed in po- 
sition, until at last seventeen guns were in line along the 
ridge. On the left of the batteries were placed the 
2d and 33d Virginia Regiments, in such a manner as 
to be concealed in the woods ; on the right was posted 
the 5th Virginia Regiment, also partially protected by 
the woods. Behind the line of the batteries were the 
4th and 27tli Virginia Regiments, the men lying on 
their breasts, to escape as much as possible the enemy's 
fire. General Bee placed the fragments of his gallant 
band on the right of Jackson's brigade. 

During these moments of extreme peril to the forces 
on the left, the two generals remained anxious spectators 
from a knoll near the Lewis House, in the rear of the 
centre ; but by eleven o'clock the continuous sound of 
firing on the left fully revealed the enemy's plans, and 
the time for action had arrived. General Johnston ex- 
pressing to General Beauregard the conviction that the 
enemy was massing his troops on the left, and General 
Beauregard agreeing with him, they struck spurs into 
their horses, and, followed by their staffs, dashed off at 
full speed for the scene of battle. They arrived not 
a moment too soon. Worn out by the long contest, 
and beaten back by overwhelming numbers, the troops 
of Bee's and Evans's commands were shattered and dis- 
couraged ; but, inspired by the presence and example 
of the generals, they turned upon the enemy with 
rekindled ardor. It was at this moment that General 
Johnston, finding the 4th Alabama stripped of field- 
officers and much worsted, placed the color-bearer, who 
refused to give to another his colors, beside him, and led 
a charge to the front, followed by the devoted and heroic 
men, who eagerly rushed forward. The two generals. 



MANASSAS. 85 

after thus cheering on the staggered troops and re-form- 
ing their wavering lines, held a hurried consultation 
and divided the duties of the field. Beauregard, as 
the younger officer, claimed the field of action on the 
left, while Johnston hastened back to the line of Bull 
Kun, to assume general direction of everything and to 
hurry up reinforcements. These he met two miles off, 
pushing eagerly forward to join their sorely-pressed 
comrades. 

The Confederate reserves and reinforcements being 
several miles off, and those of the enemy right at his 
back, he hurled his troops rapidly and fiercely against 
the Confederate ranks. One line after another sw^ept 
across the valley and surged up against the hill held by 
the invincible Southerners. For four hours, from eleven 
A.M. until three p.m., Jackson's command lay motion- 
less and exposed to the raking fire of the enemy, which 
every now and then made sad havoc in their ranlvs; 
but still they were calm and unyielding. Jackson rode 
from one end of his line to the other, — his cheering cry 
of " Steady, boys, steady,'' the calmness Avith which he 
exposed himself to danger, and the glow^ of confidence 
and animation on his countenance making his men look 
to him as to a war-god. 

But there is an end to endurance. The enemy press 
forward ; one fresh regiment after another is thrown on 
the field and stretched out to the left, in the hope of 
outflanking the Confederates. In the front his line 
sweeps forward, and he takes the Robinson and Henry 
Houses, in which his sharp-shooters lodge themselves. 
On the Confederate left he moves forward a battery to 
sweep the line of Jackson's guns ; but the devoted 33d 
Virginia, who have so long lain in concealment, w^ait 



8G LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

until this detachment is right upon them, when, spring- 
ing to their feet, they lire, rnsh forward with a yell, and 
capture the battery. The nature of the road, however, 
and the hot fire of the enemy, force them to abandon it. 

On the right, the enemy's crushing forces press down 
upon the lieroic band of Bee, who, feeling that he could 
no longer bear up against them, rode up to General 
Jackson, and exclaimed, in a tone of despair, "General, 
they are beating us backl'V "Then we will give them 
the bayonet," replied Jackson. It was then that the 
devoted Bee, turning his horse's head and dashing back 
to his men, pointed to Jackson's command, and uttered 
the memorable words, ""There is Jackson standing like 
a STOA^E WALL. Rally behind the Virginians. Let 
us determine to die here and Ave will conquer. Follow 
me !'^ To this appeal a few of the brave men w'ho had 
so long stood their ground replied by following his lead 
as he headed a charge. It was his last : the next mo- 
ment he dropped dead. 

The struggle for the possession of the ridge held by 
Jackson's command was now drawing to a close. Pressed 
on each flank by the enemy, whose numbers still rolled 
up on his front, liis men wearied by the three hours' 
action, and the ammunition running low, Jackson saw 
that the time to bring his infantry into action had come. 
The batteries in his front were divided, and, wheeling 
to the left and right, passed to the rear, and left the 
space in front of the infantry open. The men, Avho for 
three hours had been under the ordeal of a murderous 
fire without returning a shot, now hailed with delight 
i\w. hour of relief. Jackson rode np in front of the 2d 
Virginia lleginient, and cried out to tlie men, "Reserve 
your fire till they come within fifty yards ; then fire and 



'-'^ ^ mi If 




^'f^- 
/-;. 






MANASSAS. 87 

give them the bayonet ; and Avheu you charge, yell like 
furies !" The general signal was given, the men sprang 
to tlieir feet, fired a volley, and dashed forward with a 
loud and triumphant shout. Staggered by this furious 
onslaught, the enemy's lines wavered, broke, and fled 
from the field. 

While Jackson thus pierced the enemy's centre, the 
whole Confederate line was dashing forward and push- 
ing the enemy back. Tlieir reinforcements, however, 
being right at their backs, their lines were again quickly 
re-formed in a crescent shape, and, presenting a formida- 
ble array, they again moved forward to attack the Con- 
federates, who, though worn down by incessant fighting 
and hurried marches, gathered up the wrecks of shat- 
tered regiments and broken brigades to withstand once 
more the shock of battle. The enemy again charged, 
and again the Confederate lines were pushed back. 

By this time, however, the Confederate reserves from 
the right, which General Johnston had been pushing 
up, began to arrive on the field of action, and w^ere 
rapidly thrown forward. Cheer after cheer broke from 
the ranks of the weary but brave men who for so long 
had borne up against such overwhelming odds, as they 
saw that reinforcements had at last come up, and in time 
to save the day. General Beauregard gave the order for 
a second charge to be made, to attempt the recovery of 
the plateau in front of the ridge which Jackson's men 
had held so long. About this time — three o'clock — Gen- 
eral Ivirby Smith arrived from Manassas with three 
regiments of Elzey's brigade, being part of the Army 
of the Shenandoah which had bee.i so long delayed. He 
was ordered to fall on the right flank of the enemy, and, 
following the sound of the firing, was successfully ex- 



88 LJFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

ecuting this move wlien he fell dangerously wounded. 
Colonel Elzey, being next in command, led the troops 
forward in a furious charge on the enemy's exposed 
flank. General Beauregard, seizing the opportunity to 
throw his whole line forward in the second charge, 
ordered the whole Confederate force, including every 
regiment on the field, to sweep onward. The charge 
was irresistible. The enemy was driven back from the 
long-contested hill, and victory was no longer doubtful. 
The persevering foe, however, made yet another at- 
tempt to retrieve the day. Again he extended his line 
with a wider sweep to the right, ho])ing to turn the 
Confederate left; again he was reinforced by his inex- 
haustible reserves. As he re-formed, however. Colonel 
Early, with three regiments from the right of the Con- 
federate line, came upon the field of action. He threw 
himself upon the enemy's right, supported by Stuart's 
cavalry and Beckham's battery. General Beauregard at 
the same time once more moved forward his wdiole front, 
and this combined attack was too much for the Federals. 
Their lines broke under the charge. Their troops aban- 
doned their artillery and fled disgracefully from the 
field, and victory perched upon the Confederate banners. 
Xever was there a victory more complete than the 
Confederates', — never a rout more disgraceful than the 
enemy's. Their whole force, being seized with a i)anic, 
fled in the wildest dismay before a gallant little army 
numbering not half so many men as did their own. 
But there was no restraining them; all was confusion — 
all terror. An eye-witness of the scene on the Federal 
side thus describes the sight as the Confederate cavalry 
pursued the flying host : 

'^ By the time I reached the top of the hill, the re- 



MANASSAS. ^^ 



treat the j^anic, tl,e heedless, lieadlong confusion was 
now beyond a hope. I was near the rear of the move- 
ment, with the brave Captain Alexander, who endeavored 
by the most gallant, but unavailing exertions, to cheek 
the onward tumult. It was difficult to believe in the 
reahty of our sudden reverse. ' What does it all mean?' 
I asked of Alexander. ' It means defeat,' was his reply. 
We are beaten; it is a shan.eful, a cowardly retreat! 
Hold up men ." he shouted; 'don't be such infernal cow- 
ards ! And he rode backward and forward, placing his 
horse across the road, and vainly trying to rally the run- 
ning troops. The teams and wagons confused and dis- 
membered everj corps. . . . Meantime, I saw office.^ 
w, h leaves and eagles on their shoulder-straps, majors 
and colonels who had deserted their comrades, pass me 
galloping as if for dear life. No enemy pursued just 
then ; bu I suppose all were afraid that his guns would 
be tramed down the long, narrow avenue, and mow the 
retreating thousands, and batter to pieces armv-wao-ons 
and everything else which crowded it. 

" But what a scene ! and how terrific the onset of that 
tumultuous retreat! For three miles, hosts of Federal 
troops-all detached from their regiments, all mingled 
.n one disorderly rout-were fleeing along the road, but 
mostly throngh the lots on either side. Army-wagons 
sutlers teams, and private carriages choked the passage,' 
tumbhng against each other, amid clouds of dust, and 
sickening sights and .sounds. Hacks containing nnluckv 
spectators of the late affray were smashed like glass and 
the occupants were lost sight of in the debrk. Horses 
flying wildly from the battle-field, many of them in 
death-agony, galloped at random forward, joinino- in the 
stampede. Those on foot who could catch them rode 

8* 



90 T-IFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

them bareback, as much to save themselves from being 
run over as to make quicker time. AYounded men lying 
along the banks, tlie few either not left on the field or 
taken to the captured hospitals, appealed, with raised 
hands, to those who rode horses, begging to be lifted 
behind ; but few regarded such petitions. Then the 
artillery, such as was saved, came thundering along, 
smashing and overpowering everything. The regular 
cavalry, I record it to their shame, joined in the melee, 
adding to its terrors, for they rode down footmen with- 
out mercy. One of the great guns was overturned, and 
lay amid the ruins of a caisson as I passed it. I saw 
an artilleryman running between the ponderous fore and 
after wheels of his gun-carriage, hanging on with both 
hands and vainly striving to jump upon the ordnance. 
The drivers were spurring the horses ; he could not 
cling much longer, and a more agonizing exj^ression 
never fixed the features of a drowning man. The car- 
riage bounded from the roughness of a steep hill leading 
to a creek ; he lost his hold, fell, and in an instant the 
great wheels had crushed the life out of him. Who 
ever saw such a flight ! ... It did not slack in tlie least 
until Centreville was reached. There the sight of the 
reserve — Miles's brigade — formed in order on the hill, 
seemed somewhat to reassure the van. But still the 
teams and foot-soldiers pushed on, passing their OAvn 
camp and heading swiftly for the distant Potomac, until 
for ten miles the road over which the Grand Army h.ad 
so lately ])assed southward, gay with unstained banners, 
and flushed with surety of success, was covered with the 
fragments of its retreating forces, shattered and panic- 
stricken in a single day.'' 

As a proof of how sure the enemy were of success, it 



MANASSAS. 91 

is recorded that a splendid dinner in honor of the victory 
liad been prepared at Centreville for those who had gone 
over from Washington to witness tlie battle; but it re- 
mained uneaten. One of the ladies, in her haste to get 
into her carriage wdien the rout began, fell and broke her 
leg. 

The Confederate troops foUov/ed the flying foe for a 
few miles, and then abandoned the pursuit. In the 
mean time, the Confederate wounded and dead Avere 
being tenderly cared for on the field which their valor 
had made so victorious and so glorious. The great 
fight had been fought and the battle w^on. For the first 
time in the history of America, the peoj^le of the North 
and South had confronted each other in battle-array, 
Northmen in overwhelming numbers; but Southern 
valor stood the terrible test, and the individual couraire 
of the Confederates had proved more than a match for 
the skillful generalship and overwhelming odds of the 
enemy. This thought softened the sorrow felt for the 
brave men who had fallen in the Confederate ranks. 

AVith the keen instincts of a soldier and the devoted 
enthusiasm of a patriot, it had been President Davis's 
fond w^ish to share with the soldiers of his army the 
danger and glory of that great day, and he accordingly 
left Richmond early Sunday morning, hoping to reach 
Manassas in time to witness the battle. On reaching 
the Mantissas Junction, he mounted a horse and Avent 
at full gallop to the scene of action. The declining 
rays of the w^arm sun of July w-ere lengthening the 
shadows across the now victorious and classic plains of 
Manassas ere his cort'ge swept over them. But he ap- 
peared then as the impersonation of the Confederate 
cause, and, as his slight, manly figure came in siglit, cheer 



92 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J JACKSON. 

after clicer rose from the wrecks of the galhint army 
whose heroic efforts had been so gloriously crowned with 
success. The wounded forgot their pains as they raised 
their heads to join in the shout, and the dying spent 
their last breath in the cheer for him who represented 
the cause for which they had shed their life's blood. 

But, in the mean time, where was Jackson? In 
the rear of the Confederate lines the wounded were 
the object of every attention, and the surgeons were 
busily engaged plying the knife and saw and bind- 
ing up broken limbs or gaping wounds. On the cool 
and shady banks of a little stream in the rear, hun- 
dreds of the Confederate wounded were collected, and 
thither General Jackson made his way as soon as the 
rout of the enemy was seen to be complete. Those 
who had watched him closely during the fight had 
noticed him once shake his hand impatiently and then 
wrap it hastily in his handkerchief. It was when a 
rifle-ball struck it and broke the middle finger and 
lacerated one of the others. When he reached the spot 
where the surgeons were so hard at work on the wounded, 
one of them, Dr. McGuire, said, "General, are you much 
hurt?'' "No," was the reply ; " I believe it is a trifle." 
" How goes the day ?" was Dr. McGuire's second ques- 
tion. "Oh," Jackson exclaimed, unable to restrain his 
delight at the success of our arms, "we have beat them! 
We have a glorious victory ! My brigade made them 
run like dogs !" Two or three surgeons having come uj) 
to him to offer their services, he quietly declined them 
until those who were more seriously wounded were at- 
tended to, and, sitting down upon the grass to rest, he 
v/ould not allow his wound to be caressed until he saw 
the surgeons had more leisure. Then they examined 



MANASSAS. 93 

him, and, turning from one to the other, he found all but 
Dr. McGuire thought he should have at least one of the 
wounded fingers amputated at once. With an anxious 
look he then asked Dr. IMcGuire what his opinion was. 
'' General," he replied, " if we attempt to save the finger, 
tlie cure will be more painful ; but if this were my hand 
I should make the experiment.'^ " Then, doctor, do 
you dress it/' he said, as he laid his mangled hand in 
the doctor's. Dr. McGuire's advice proved judicious, as 
the hand was healed without removins: the fin2:er. 

It was while at this place, among the wounded, that 
the President and his staff dashed by. Jackson arose, 
and, waving his cap, called upon those around him to 
give him a loud cheer, — which was quickly done. After 
describing the rout of the enemy, he said that ^^with 
ten thousand fresh troops he could enter the city of 
AYashington." 

So ended the day. By night the news of victory had 
flashed along the electric wires to every part of the 
South, carrying with it to many a home the sad tidings 
of the death of some dear one, who had fallen, as all the 
brave desire to fall, in defense of their homes and hearth- 
stones. With grateful but saddened hearts the people 
of the South retired to rest that night. In Richmond 
the scene was most impressive. The full moon shone 
down in undimmed splendor on the beautiful streets of 
this most beautiful Southern city. In front of the tele- 
graph- and newspaper-offices stood the silent crowd, fear- 
ing, yet anxious, to hear from the brave soldier that each 
had sent to the front. Before the private residences and 
on the sidewalks were seen mothers and wives and sis- 
ters, in anxious groups, or going from bouse to house to 
hear who had fallen or who survived that terrible day. 



94 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

Ill the i:)arlors of the hotels sat many an officer's wife, 
cahnly and anxiously awaiting tidings from her husband, 
all unconscious that he was sleeping his last sleep and 
that the settino: sun had left her a widow. The shouts 
of triumph which now and then burst from the crowd, 
as news confirming the completeness of the victory was 
received, were quickly repressed, as all felt the day had 
been dearly won. The cup of sorrows which war brings, 
even in its triumphs, had been pressed to their lips for 
the first time, and with grateful yet awed and subdued 
hearts they silently withdrew to their homes. 

Twice during that memorable evening the writer of 
these lines was in the company of General Lee, — once 
to witness the bitterness of his regret as he announced 
to a few friends around him that the Secretary of War 
positively forbade him going to Manassas to offer his 
services in leading forward the victorious troops, and 
again, when a lady sitting opposite him asked if he 
would pursue, to see him lean forward, and say, in tones 
whose earnestness could never be forgotten, ^' Madam, I 
would follow them into their very dens.'' Nor could 
the tender sympathy be forgotten with w^hich he spoke 
of the heart-broken wives and mothers whose loved ones 
had just fallen. 



CHAPTEE yil. 



ROMNEY. 



The day after the battle of Manassas, Jackson's 
pastor, tlie Rev. Dr. White, Avas standing in a crowd 
assembled in front of the post-office in Lexington, anx- 
iously awaiting the opening of the mail. A letter was 
handed to him as soon as this w^as done. He recognized 
Jackson's handwriting, and exclaimed to the anxious 
and expectant group around him, ^*Now we shall know 
all the facts." He opened it, and read : 

" My dear Pastor, — -In my tent last night, after a 
fatiguing day's service, I remembered that I had failed 
to send you my contribution for our colored Sunday- 
school. Inclosed you Avill find my check for that object, 
which please acknowledge at your earliest convenience, 
and oblige 

" Yours faithfully, 

^^T. J. Jackson." 

What a picture of the Christian hero ! As he sinks 
to rest after the fatigues of a "day's service" whose 
deeds had enrolled his name among the great captains of 
the earth, he does not think of himself, nor, ambitious 
as he was, of that fame which would follow, — he must, 
with the instincts of awakening genius, have felt how 
surely, — but of his colored Sunday-school scholars at 

95 



96 I^JFF^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

home. Was he to be counted among the enemies of that 
ill-starred race? Yet how many in the world thought 
of the banner under which he fought, and on which his 
simple faith cast such lustre, as the emblem of their 
oppression ! 

Among the many touching incidents of the battle of 
Manassas, the death of two brothers — the two young 
Conrads*— deserves to be mentioned. They were the 
only sons of their parents, and both enlisted in the Con- 
federate army as soon as the war broke out. Charming 
in their youthful enthusiasm, their amiable domestic 
virtues, and the singular purity of their lives, they were 
the idols of their home circle and the favorites of all 
who knew them. The eldest, Holmes, had enlisted and 
was in the field w^hen the youngest. Tucker, came home 
from college to follow his example. In despair at the 
thought of both of his young masters rushing into the 
dangers of war, an old family slave remonstrated with 
him for joining the army, and said, '' Suppose Master 
Holmes gets killed?'^ ^' Then,'' exclaimed his devoted 
brother, ^^I will be right there to fall with him!" They 
were members of the same company in the Stonewall 
Brigade, and in one of its magnificent charges both fell 
dead, killed by the same shot. 

AYe find Jackson writing on the day after the battle 
of INIanassas to Mrs. Jackson as follows : 

"Yesterday we fought a great battle, and gained a 
great victory, for which all the glory is due to God 
alone. Though under a heavy fire for several continu- 
ous hours, I only received one wound, the breaking of 
the largest finger of the left hand; but the doctor says 



ROMNEY. 97 

the finger can be saved. My horse was wounded, but 
not killed. My coat got an ugly wound near the hip. 
My preservation was entirely due, as Avas the glorious 
victory, to our God, to whom be all the glory, honor^ 
and praise. Whilst great credit is due to other parts of 
our gallant army, God made my brigade more instru- 
mental than any other in repulsing the main attack. 
This is for your information only ; say nothing about it. 
Let another speak praise, not myself.^' 

And again, on August 5, he wrote to her, — 
" You think that the papers ought to say more about 
me? My brigade is not a brigade of newspaper corre- 
spondents. I know that the First Brigade was the first 
to meet and pass our retreating forces, to push on with 
no other aid than the smiles of God, to boldly take its 
position with the artillery that was under my command, 
to arrest the victorious foe in his onward progress, to 
hold him in check until reinforcements arrived, and, 
finally, to charge bayonets, and, thus advancing, pierce 
the enemy's centre. I am well satisfied with what it did, 
and so are my generals, Johnston and Beauregard. . . . 
I am thankful to our ever kind heavenly Father that 
He makes me content to await His own good time and 
pleasure for commendation, knowing that all good things 
work together for my good. Xever distrust our God, 
who doeth all things w^ell. In due time He will mani- 
fest all His pleasure, which is all His people should ever 
desire. If my brigade can always play as important 
and useful a part as in the last battle, I shall always be 
very grateful, I trust.'' 

A few days after the battle of INIanassas, General Jack- 
son moved forward with his brigade to a point about a 
mile beyond Centreville, where he encamped, and set to 



98 I^tFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

work to perfect the discipline of his troops. The Con- 
federate generals, having collected and re-organized their 
forces and being reinforced, moved forward, some weeks 
later, with an army of sixty thousand men. On reach- 
ing Mason's and Munson's Hills, they were within sight 
of Washington, and they hoped to tempt to battle the 
Federal general McCIellan, who, after the defeat at 
Manassas, had replaced General McDowell in command 
of the Federal forces. Bat he declined every challenge to 
battle. 

In Avriting to his wife on the 24tli of September, 
General Jackson says, — 

" This is a beautiftd and lovely morning, beautiful 
emblem of the morning of eternity in heaven. I greatly 
enjoy it after our cold, chilly weather, which has made 
me feel doubtful of my capacity^ humanly speaking, to 
end are the campaign, should we remain longer in tents. 
But God, our God, will do, and does, all things well, and 
if it is His pleasure that I should remain in the field. 
He will give me the ability to endure all its fatigues.'' 

On the 7th of October, 1861, as a reward for his ser- 
vices in the battle of Manassas, Jackson was promoted 
to the rank of major-general. On receiving his com- 
mission, he wrote to his wife, — 

^' I am very thankful to that good God who with- 
holds no good thing from me (though I am so utterly 
unworthy and so ungrateful), for making me a mnjor- 
general of the Provisional army of the Confederate 
States." 

In another letter to her he says, — 

" I trust that you feel more gratitude to God than 
pride or elation at my promotion." 

Shortly after being appointed major-general, he was 



ROMNEV. 99 

assigned to take command, under General Johnston, of 
tlie Valley district, and for that purpose was ordered to 
Winchester. His brigade, however, was to be left with 
the Army of the Potomac. His separation from this 
brigade, whose men had displayed such valor under his 
command, was a great grief to Jackson. When the day 
came for him to leave, he ordered the brigade to be 
paraded out under arms, and, riding down the line ac- 
companied by his staflP, he stopped in their front. Pro- 
found silence reigned through their ranks, their hearts 
being too sad to greet him with the accustomed cheer. 
Reining up his horse as he confronted them, he looked 
from one end of the line to the other, and in a few ap- 
propriate words expressed his attachment for the men 
of this brigade, his admiration for their brilliant con- 
duct while under his command, and the hope that they 
might maintain i\\Q reputation which they had then won 
by the achievement of still nobler deeds in the future. 
Then, pausing, he seemed for a moment shaken with 
emotion, and, dropping the reins upon his horse's neck, 
extended his arms towards them and exclaimed, "In the 
Army of the Shenandoah you were the First Brigade, 
in the Army of the Potomac you were the First Brigade, 
in the Second Corps you are the First Brigade; you are 
the First Brigade in the affections of your general, and 
I hope by your future deeds and bearing you will be 
handed down to posterity as the First Brigade in this 
our second war of independence. Farewell !'' 

Gathering up the reins, he waved his hand and dashed 
off the field at full gallop, amid such cheers as only 
brave soldiers can give to a loved commander. His 
departure from the Army of the Potomac took place on 
the 4th of November, 1861. 



100 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON-. 

Jackson had in tlie Valley district, though still under 
General Johnston, a command to a great degree inde- 
pendent. On reaching Winchester, he found the forces 
under his command consisting only of a few companies 
of badly-armed, half-organized cavalry and portions of 
three brigades of State militia. His first step was to 
issue immediately an order calling out at once from 
the adjoining counties militia to fill out these brigades. 
The people responded with the patriotic enthusiasm 
characteristic of that section of the country, and in a 
few weeks his force was raised to three thousand men. 
But before we proceed with an account of his move- 
ments we must glance at the advances of the enemy in 
Northwestern Virginia. 

The command of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 
placed this region completely in the power of the Fed- 
eral authorities, for by means of this road they could 
send troops thither and supply them with provisions 
or reinforcements, if needed. To penetrate into this 
district, however, the Confederates, after leaving the 
Central Railroad at a point Avest of Staunton, had to 
toil for many miles over rough, mountainous roads, and 
through a country which could afford them no pro- 
visions or supplies of any sort. These had to be car- 
ried after them, with great labor and expense, in Avagons. 
Thus, in the contest in Northwestern Virginia, the odds 
were all against the Confederates, while fortune favored 
the success of the Federal arms. 

Early in the season, after the first outbreak of the 
Avar, a United States army of about tAventy thousand 
men Avas sent under McClellan to invade Virginia in 
the northAvest. To meet this Avell-armed and finely- 
equipped army, a small force of five thousand men, 



ROMNEV. 101 

under the command of General Garnett, Avas sent by the 
Confederate authorities. It advanced as far as E-icli 
Mountain, where, on tlie 11th of July, being far away 
from all sources of supply, it was attacked by McClellan 
while, unfortunately, divided into two detachments, and 
utterly defeated. While still divided, the two portions 
of this gallant little band were forced to make a retreat, 
in which they lost their baggage and their heroic com- 
mander his life. McClellan's reward for this victory 
was to succeed ]\IcDowell in command of the Grand 
Army of the Potomac after its defeat at Manassas. 

After the disastrous results of this expedition under 
Garnett, a second was sent out, under General Lee, to 
oppose Rosecrans, who had succeeded McClellan. Gen- 
eral Lee's high reputation caused much to be hoped for 
from this expedition ; but all such hopes were doomed 
to disappointment. This skillful commander found 
himself and his fine force locked in on all sides by high 
mountains, and an advance rendered impossible from 
the nature of the country and the condition of the 
roads. And so, after remaining powerless for some 
months, he was ordered to take command of the more 
important district of the Atlantic Coast. 

The failure of these attempts to repel the invasion of 
the portion of his State to which he was deeply attached 
as the place of his birth and the home of his youth, was 
a source of great grief to General Jackson. He had 
been anxious to go with his men and join the Confed- 
erate force sent under Garnett, under whom, he said, he 
would cheerfully serve for the privilege of being allowed 
to join the expedition. And when General Lee — from 
whom he hoped much — went to take command in the 
northwest, he again expressed the wish to be sent there 

9* 



102 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

witli his brigade, saying, " It is natural for one's affec- 
tions to turn to the home of his boyhood and family/' 

General Loring succeeded General Lee in command 
of the Xorthwestern Department. Early in October, 
Brigadier-General Henry Jackson, of this command, sus- 
tained most successfully, with a force ureatly inferior in 
numbers, an attack made by a force of the enemy whicli 
left their fastness at Cheat Mountain and attacked him 
at the head of Greenbrier Kiver. On the 13th of De- 
cember, Colonel Edward Johnson, of the same command, 
won a still more brilliant victory in resisting witli only 
twelve hundred men an attack made upon him at Alle- 
ghany by five thousand of the enemy, who were not 
only defeated but driven some distance from the field. 

These successes, so cheering as coming from a quarter 
where the Confederates had only known defeat, and 
so gratifying as proofs of the skill and heroism of the 
brave officers and men by whom they Avere accom- 
plished, were destined to be fruitless, as the Confederate 
forces Avere too small for them to be followed up. This 
was too plainly proved a few weeks later, when the 
enemy, having occupied Hardy and Hampshire Coun- 
ties, thus threatened the rear of the little Confederate 
army and forced it to fall back and take a position on 
Shenandoah Mountain, forty miles to the rear. 

This was the state of affairs in the Xorth western 
Department when Jackson arrived in Winchester. He 
had long before predicted that the Confederates could 
not meet with success there as long as they continued to 
follow the plan of defense which had been adopted for 
that section, and even before reaching Winchester he 
wrote to Richmond proposing a different plan and 
urging its adoption. This plan was to organize a win- 



ROMNEV. 103 

ter campaign, in which, starting from AYinchester, he 
would move rapidly to the northwest, cut the Baltimore 
and Ohio Railroad, and thus, having cut the enemy off 
from supplies and reinforcements, he could fall upon his 
rear. To accomplish this, he urged that the forces under 
Loring and Johnston should at once be hurried to him. 

The Confederate Government partly agreed to his 
plan, and to furnish him with sufficient force his old 
brigade — now known only as the Stonewall Brigade — 
was sent to him about the middle of November. With 
the brigade was also sent Pendleton's battery, under 
Captain McLoughlin. Early in December he also re- 
ceived other reinforcements, consistins; of several reo;i- 
ments from the Army of the Northwest. He continued 
to urge tliat the remaining forces of that army which 
were now lying idle should be sent to him; but this was 
refused, and he did not hesitate to say that the absence 
of tliese troops would defeat his plan for a winter cam- 
paign in Northwest Virginia. 

Though he had failed to secure troops enough to carry 
out his plan of a winter campaign in the northwest, yet 
with the force which he had assembled at Winchester, 
small as it was, he determined not to remain inactive, but 
at once commenced those brilliant movements in the 
Valley of Virginia which have rendered it so famous in 
history and made it seem enchanted ground to the enemy. 
This valley lies between the great North Mountain range 
on the west and i\\Q Blue Ridge on the east. Its width 
is at some points fifteen miles, at others thirty, but it is 
widest where the Potomac crosses it, and then spreads 
out from the sources of that stream away off in the Alle- 
ghanies to Harper's Ferry. The surface of the country 
lying between the two high mountain-ranges on eacli 



104 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

side of the valley is itself broken by hills and mountain- 
ranges. A mountain called Massanutten Mountain, 
which rises twenty miles southwest of Winchester, runs 
parallel with the Blue Ridge for fifty miles, and the 
valley lying between it and the Blue Ridge is watered 
by the Shenandoah River, and is known as the Luray 
Valley. The scenery of the Valley of Virginia, thus 
intersected by smaller valleys and mountain-ranges, is 
lovely beyond description. Its fertile fields, limpid 
streams, lofty mountains, Avaving woods, and smiling 
valleys form landscapes whose picturesque beauty is a 
constant source of delight and pleasure to the traveler 
passing through them. Nor is the race inhabiting the 
Valley unworthy of the bounties which, in fertile fields 
and beautiful scenery, nature has lavished on them. 
Noted for their hospitalities and the grace with which 
they Avere administered, they enjoyed in prosperity the 
easy lives natural to those living in a country which is 
the abode of plenty, and indulged in the manly sports 
and simple pleasures characteristic of country life. But 
it is in adversity that their noblest qualities shine forth. 
Loyal unto death, patient under hardship and toil, calm 
and undismayed amid the storms of war which devas- 
tated and desolated their country and homes, the first to 
rush to arms and the last to lay them down, the very 
air they breathed seemed to inspire with fresh courage 
and energy the forces sent to defend their beautiful 
country, and to render it for their foes the Valley of the 
Shadow of Death. 

General Jackson determined to make with the small 
force under his command a move which he thoufrht 
might be a serious annoyance to the enemy. This was 
to cut the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, which ran down 



ROM NET. 105 

the Potomac from Cumberland, Maryland, to Washing- 
ton, and thus break the enemy^s communications by the 
river, as they had — by the burning of the bridge at 
Harper's Ferry — been broken by the railroad. The 
point he selected for attack was Dam No. 5, near Mar- 
ti nsburo^ ; for if this dam could be broken it would let 
off the water which fed the canal. 

AVith the Stonewall Brigade, his cavalry, and a part 
of the militia, he went to Alartinsburg on December 10^ 
and there completed his arrangements for carrying his 
plan into execution. Sending the militia to make a feint 
on AVilliamsport, he went with the rest of the troops to 
the dam. A working-party composed of men from 
Holliday's company, of the 33d Virginia Regiment, 
and from Robinson's, of the 27th, were assigned to the 
laborious task of breaking a gap through the dam. The 
Stonewall Brigade was placed near them, behind a hill, 
to prevent any attack upon them, while a mill near by 
was also filled with Confederate riflemen ready to fire 
upon any attacking party. There they worked from the 
17th to the 21st of December, waist-deep in water, worn 
down Avith fatigue, almost overcome with sleep, and with 
the enemy's cannon-balls booming over their heads. 
But still they labored on through the cold winter days 
and the colder winter nights. The Federal general 
Banks, at the head of a large force on the other side of 
tlie Potomac, tliundered away with his cannon in the vain 
attempt to drive the brave fellows from their task. On 
the 21st the breach through the dam was finished, and 
the waters of the Potomac rushed through and left the 
canal drained to its bottom. In this affair only one man 
was killed by the enemy. But who can describe the 
sufferings of the men on such an expedition ? AVho can 



106 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

sufficiently admire tlie heroism and patriotic devotion 
wliicli prompted the men who volunteered to enter the 
chill Avaters of the Potomac on such a laborious work? 

When General Jackson returned to Winchester on the 
25th of December, he found awaiting him the remainder 
of Loring's force. This increased the number of men 
in his command to eleven thousand, including three 
thousand militia. By order of the Government, Loring 
was to retain command of the troops which had been 
under him, but was to act under Jackson's orders. An 
unfortunate jealousy which afterwards sprang up between 
these two commands was a source of infinite trouble to 
General Jackson, and in more than one instance served 
to cripple movements which might otherwise have been 
successful. 

Had Loring's forces arrived earlier, and been only 
accompanied by those under Colonel Edward Johnson, 
Jackson would have been able to carry out his fondly- 
cherished plan of invading Northwestern Virginia. As 
it was, with such a fine body of men under his com- 
mand, and tempted by the mildness of the weather, he 
determined to start on an expedition which might ac- 
complish a part of what he had hoped to achieve could 
he have succeeded in sooner assembling a sufficient num- 
ber of troops. This expedition was to sweep away three 
separate detachments stationed in the counties west of 
Winchester, where they were ruling the people w^ith a 
rod of iron. These three detachments were stationed, — 
one at Bath, in Morgan County, forty miles north of 
Winchester; one at the little town of Hancock, on the 
opposite side of the Potomac; and one at Romney, on 
the south branch of the same river. The detachments 
at the first two places Avere small, but the one at Pomney 



ROMNEY. 107 

numbered ten thousand men, and the enemy had also 
intrenched himself there. Jackson's plan was to move 
swiftly upon Bath and Hancock, capturing the detach- 
ment at each place, and then to attack Romney. The 
success of this well-planned movement was destined, 
however, to be marred by the jealousy which now broke 
out between the two commands, and the disinclination 
of the men and officers under Loring to enter upon a 
winter campaign. 

The morning of New Year's day of 1862 was as mild 
and balmy as if it were in the month of May, and, with 
a bright sky over his head, Jackson started from Win- 
chester with his little army of eight thousand five hun- 
dred men, with five batteries. But the weather, which 
was so auspicious in the morning, became lowering and 
threatening as the day advanced, and with the night 
came a cold rain or sleet, and the balmy air of the 
morning was exchanged for weather so intensely cold as 
to be scarcely endurable for either man or beast. To 
avoid betraying the movement to the enemy, the march 
was conducted over roads but rarely used, and conse- 
quently rough and in no order for traveling. Matters 
grew worse as the march advanced, and the hardships 
of the troo2:)S moving under a driving sleet or snow over 
frozen roads were very great, and their sufferings in- 
tense. Many of the men fell in their tracks, unable to 
go on. For several nights they slept out under the cold 
winter skies without blankets or tents. General Jack- 
son shared all these hardships with his troops, and by 
his patient endurance encouraged them to bear up and 
push on. j 

At last, at the end of a three days' hard march, this 
little band reached Bath, and drove in the enemy's 



108 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

pickets on January 3. General Jackson arranged lils 
forces so as to capture the enemy the next day and enter 
the town. But here his plan was frusti^ated by the 
sluggish movements of the troops, and his cavalry 
dashed into the town just in time to see the enemy 
escape, leaving behind him all his stores and provisions. 
Tlie indefatigable Jackson at once ordered a pursuit, 
and for this purpose divided his force and -sent a body 
down each of two roads by which the enemy had taken 
flight for the river. He was soon overtaken on the road 
leading to Hancock, and his forces driven into that town. 
The Confederate body moving down the other road also 
came up with the enemy, but, not pressing the pursuit as 
closely as they ought to have done, he was allowed to 
cross the Potomac but little damaged, and to find refuge 
in Hancock. A Confederate force had been sent by 
Jackson down a third road leading to the railroad bridge 
across the Capon, which they were ordered to destroy. 
This they did, and thus Komney was cut off from Banks, 
who was in command of a considerable force lower down 
the river. 

On the morning of the 5th, General Jackson sent 
Colonel Ashby to summon the town of Hancock to 
surrender. He was led blindfolded through the streets 
into the i)resence of the Federal commander. Ashby's 
heroic deeds had already spread his fame abroad, and, as 
he was led through the streets, a crowd, curious to catch 
a glimpse of the dashing cavalryman, followed close 
after him, and he heard it whispered from mouth to 
mouth, " That is the famous Ashby !'^ The Federal 
commander having refused to surrender the town, Gen- 
eral Jackson cannonaded it and drove the Federal forces 
out. After this he hurried off on the 7tli towards Rom- 



ROMNEY. 109 

ney. Late tliat day, his van-guard falling in with a 
detachment of the enemy at Hanging Rock, fifteen miles 
from E-omney, a skirmish took place, in which the Con- 
federates lost two guns. At this point Jackson was 
forced to halt to rest his jaded troops, and to have his 
horses re-shod with rough shoes to enable them to keep 
their footing on roads covered with ice. This caused a 
delay of several days, and the march was not resumed 
until the 13th. 

On the 14th of January, Jackson entered Romney to 
find the bird flown. Though having a greatly superior 
force, the Federal commander, on hearing of Jackson's 
approach with his little band, fled before him on the 14th, 
and in such haste that he left his tents standing. Had 
the Confederates come up in time to attack the enemy, 
they would have rushed into battle with an eagerness 
and a spirit of revenge never felt by them before, for 
from Hanging Rock to Romney the country presented 
a pitiable scene of desolation. The enemy had spread 
fire and ruin everywhere. Not a house Avas left, and 
only smoking ruins now marked the spot where they 
had stood. The peasant's cot and the rich man's man- 
sion had shared the same fate. The widow and the 
orphan had been driven out from their homes as the 
torch was applied to them. Old men w^ere shot down in 
Avanton crueUy ; and even the domestic animals, horses, 
mules, sheep, and hogs, were alike butchered. On that 
dreary march of fifteen miles not one thing was seen 
moving through fields that had so lately teemed with 
life and given every mark of the highest rural pros- 
perity. Now all was ruin and desolation ; the country 
was like a smoking cliarnel-house, the ashes of burnt 
houses and the bodies of dead animals being mingled 

10 



110 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

together. One scene of ruin following another, the 
Confederate forces moved on in tliis march, the sad 
silence being only broken now and then as some scene 
of ruin more horrible than the preceding came to view, 
or by some fierce vows of vengeance as a soldier who 
had come from that section came in sight of the ruins 
of his once happy home. No wonder that men who had 
committed such atrocities should be frightened at the 
approach of the brave soldiers before whom they fled. 

On finding the enemy gone, General Jackson ordered 
an advance movement to destroy a very important rail- 
road bridge; but so greatly had his troops been demoral- 
ized by the hardships of their march, and so averse were 
they to this move, that he was obliged reluctantly to 
abandon it. 

Leaving General Loring with three brigades and thir- 
teen pieces of artillery at Komney, where he had made 
all necessary arrangements for his defense should he be 
attacked, General Jackson returned to Winchester on 
the 24th of January, taking with him the Stonewall 
Brigade, that he might be in readiness for any move of 
Banks. 

On this expedition General Jackson had had much to 
contend with in the disaffection among both the officers 
and men of Loring's command, but his unbending au- 
thority and iron will had held it all in check, and in the 
face of almost every kind of obstacle he had succeeded 
with a handful of men in driving the enemy from each 
of his positions which he attacked, and in chasing him 
from a district in which he had been a scourge to the 
unhappy people placed in his power. Having accom- 
plished all this with but \\ii\Q or no aid from the Gov- 
ernment, he was astounded by the receipt of the following 



ROMNET. Ill 

telegram from the Secretary of War on the 31st of 
January : 

" Our news indicates that a movement is making to 
cut off General Loring's command ; order him back to 
Winchester immediately." 

Jackson was too good a soldier to hesitate in carrying 
out this order, but too independent a man to retain a 
position where he would be responsible for success or 
failure and yet be liable to have his plans and arrange- 
ments for a campaign interfered with by orders sent from 
the remote office of an official who could not judge of 
what should or should not be done, and he accordingly 
wrote at once to the Secretary of War as follows : 

" Headquarters Valley District, 
" January 31, 1862. 

" Hon. J. P. Benjamin, Secretary of War. 

^'SiR, — Your order requiring me to direct General 
Loring to return with his command to Winchester im- 
mediately has been received and promptly complied 
with. 

" AVith such interference in my command I cannot 
expect to be of much service in the field, and accordingly 
respectfully request to be ordered to report for duty to 
the Superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute 
at Lexington, as has been done in the case of other 
professors. Should this application not be granted, I 
respectfully request that the President will accept my 
resignation from the army. 

^' Respectfully, etc., your obedient servant, 

"T. J. Jackson.'' 

When it became known that Jackson had resigned, 



112 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

he was besieged by letters and entreaties to withdraw 
his resignation, from persons of all ranks in public and 
private life, which showed plainly the hold he already 
had on the hearts and imagination of his countrymen. 
The Governor wrote a letter to him begging him to re- 
consider, and sent one of the most influential men of the 
State as a special messenger to urge him to withdraw his 
resignation. But Jackson was firm. In his reply to 
the Governor's letter he wrote, "The order was given 
without consulting me ; it is abandoning to the enemy 
what has cost nuich preparation, expense, and exposure 
to secure ; it is in direct conflict with my military plans ; 
it implies a want of confidence in my capacity to judge 
when General Loring's troops should fall back ; and it 
is an attempt to control military operations in detail from 
the Secretary's desk at a distance." 

He remained inexorable until he heard that the Gov- 
ernor had withdrawn his letter of resie^nation in the 
name of Virginia, and a few days later received as- 
surances that the Government did not intend to interfere 
with his military plans. 

During this period of trial to him, Jackson preserved 
his calm outward demeanor, and went frequently to dine 
with a friend in Winchester whose young family afforded 
him the pleasure he always enjoyed in playing with 
children. Only once did he give vent to his feelings, 
and then it was in an outburst of passion which awed 
and impressed those around him, as he strode up and 
down the room and expressed all he had suffered in 
having his plans destroyed. 



CHAPTEE YIII. 

KERNSTOWN. 

The first two or three months of the year 1862 were 
marked by a succession of disasters to the Confederate 
arms which plunged the whole South into gloom and 
depression. The first of these disasters was the loss of 
the battle of Somerset, in Kentucky. In this battle fell 
the noble-hearted Zollicoffer, who was so beloved by his 
troops that their grief and terror at his death cost them 
the victory which his skill and courage had almost com- 
pletely secured. The defeat at Somerset was followed by 
that off the North Carolina coast, on Koanoke Island, 
in which a handful of Confederate troops were utterly 
overpowered by a superior Federal force. This defeat, 
which occurred on the 8th of February, was one of the 
causes which later led to the evacuation of Norfolk. 
Again, in Kentucky, one disaster followed quickly upon 
the heels of another during this month of February. 
The noble Albert Sidney Johnston was making there 
the most heroic efforts to organize a force sufficiently 
large to cope with the thousands which the Northwestern 
States were pouring down the Mississippi, and which 
were destined, for the most part, for Kentucky and Ten- 
nessee. This skillful general was indeed one of the 
lofty spirits of the earth, for while he worked day after 
day with indefatigable energy and unflagging ardor, 
resting at night on a bundle of straw, as did his lowest 

10* 113 



114 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

soldiers, an impatient and ignorant country was taunting 
him with sluiririshness and want of skill. Yet so earnest 
was he in his efforts, so devoted in his patriotism, that 
he received these reproaches as part of the trials which 
a soldier must expect in discharging the duties of his 
profession. " I observed silence, as it seemed to be the 
best way to serve the cause and the country," he nobly 
wrote in a letter to President Davis, — a calm, manly, but 
touching letter, which was read by many of his country- 
men after his death with tears. 

To prevent the Federal forces from penetrating to the 
heart of the country included in his command, it was 
necessary for Johnston to keep them out of the Missis- 
sippi, Tennessee, and Cumberland Rivers. To do this 
he attempted to close the Mississijipi by batteries at Co- 
lumbus, the Tennessee by Fort Henry, and the Cumber- 
land by Fort Don el son. Fort Henry was attacked on 
the 6th of February, and surrendered after a defense of 
but little more than an hour. On the 15th of the same 
month Fort Donelson, after a heroic resistance, fell, 
many Confederate soldiers being captured with it. After 
the fall of these two forts came the necessary evacuation 
of Columbus, followed by that of Nashville and Mem- 
phis. Generals Albert Sidney Johnston and Beauregard, 
who had been sent to join his command, were thus forced 
to fall back and assume a line of defense south of the 
Tennessee River. 

So much for affairs in the West. In A^irginia they 
were but little more promising. 

^IcClellan, we have seen, was commanding and di- 
recting the movements of the troops in front of John- 
ston at Manassas. He was now just completing the 
oro-anization of the immense force — over two hundred 



KERNS TO ]VN. 1 ] 5 

thousand men — with which he expected to overcome the 
thinned Confederate ranks and capture Richmond at 
an early day. 

General Johnston, with a greatly inferior force, had 
to defend a long line extending from Evansport on the 
Potomac, on his right, to Winchester, beyond the Blue 
Ridge, on his left. Thus Jackson's little force held the 
extreme left of this line. A strong force was ascending 
the Peninsula from Fortress Monroe, and was only kept 
in check by the audacity of General Magruder. This 
dashing officer, by hurrying his little force from one 
point to another, appearing first at one place and then 
at another, and always ready for a fight, confounded the 
Federal commanders by his boldness, and made them 
think by this skillful handling of his troops that his 
force was four times as numerous as it really was. 

While the odds were thus fearfully against the Con- 
federates on land, the Federal Government was sending 
out from its ports immense armaments to ascend the 
navigable streams and throw invading armies into the 
very heart of the country. The North had the whole 
world open to her. The eagerness of her peoi)le to in- 
vade the South threw open to her Government inexhaust- 
ible wealth with which to get men and material to equip 
and sustain immense armies and extensive navies. The 
South, on the other hand, being shut out from the rest 
of the world, had to look to her own resources for help. 
Her people, brave and high-spirited, patient and enduringi 
under toil, hardship, and suffering, were yet impatient 
under that restraint so necessary for the discipline of an 
efficient army. The most domestic people in the world, 
loving their homes with a love rarely surpassed, it re- 
quired the greatest self-denial and sacrifice on their part 



116 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

to lie idle In camp. Hence the difficulty of retaining 
the men in hand after a battle, and the consequent im- 
possibility of reaping the full benefit of a victory. With 
such material for armies, and with limited resources and 
blockaded ports, it behooved the rulers of the South to 
push the war vigorously forward. But they failed to 
seize the propitious moment of their early success, when 
the Southern people, animated by the loftiest spirit of 
liberty and devotion to country which ever swelled the 
breast of man, and flushed with victory, would have 
rushed into battle with an elan which few armies could 
resist. The precious time employed by the Federal 
authorities in organizing immense forces was spent in 
listless inactivity by those of the South. The inferior 
forces that she already had were rapidly melting away. 
No steps had been taken for the re-enlistment of the 
men, most of whom had enlisted for only a year, and 
they insisted on returning home, if only for a short 
visit ; there seemed every probability of the whole army 
being disorganized. It was this condition of affairs, 
even more than the actual reverses to Confederate arms, 
which made the situation of the South seem most ap- 
palling. 

When it became evident that General Johnston had 
to fall back from IManassas, it also became evident that 
his retreat would have to be accomplished with thinned 
if not disorganized ranks; for, by an almost fatal law of 
the Confederate Congress, the old officers in the army 
were on the eve of being dropped and new ones elected 
by the soldiers, and this in the face of a greatly superior 
force and one enjoying every advantage botli in numbers 
and in equipments. No wonder that men's hearts sank 
^\it]lin them wlien they thought of the coming cam- 



KERNSTOWN. 117 

paign, and no wonder tliat they trusted as earnestly as 
they did to Providence alone to crown a just cause with 
success. 

But, amid all this gloom and depression, where was 
Jackson? At Winchester, undaunted and unshaken; 
heading a forlorn hope as it were, and defying with six 
thousand men the united forces of Lander and Banks, 
— consisting of forty-six thousand men, — one thirty-five 
miles north of him, and the other at Harper's Ferry. 
He had orders from General Johnston by no means to 
allow the enemy to ascend the Yalley and, slipping 
through one of the gaps in the Blue Ridge, fall upon 
his flank on his retreat from Manassas. He was to 
handle his faithful little band of veterans in such a 
manner as to keep the enemy in the Yalley. This was 
the task set before him; and most nobly and heroically 
did he accomplish it. 

As Jackson had foreseen, on the retreat of Loring 
from Eomney the Federal forces pressed forward, and 
advanced so far as again to threaten the rear of Colonel 
Edward Johnson's command. This forced him to fall 
back, and he withdrew his force to Shenandoah Moun- 
tain, within twenty-five miles of Staunton. Winchester 
was now threatened on all sides, and, to make matters 
worse for Jackson, Loring being ordered to another 
command, part of his troops were sent east of the Blue 
Ridge, and thus at the moment of the most imminent 
danger Jackson's force was cut down to six thousand 
men. But he was so far from despairing that he boldly 
declared that should Lander with his eleven thousand or 
Banks with his thirty-five thousand men move on him, 
he would instantly march out and attack him. 

Banks crossed the Potomac at Harper's Ferry on the 



118 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

25tli of February with four thousand men, and early in 
Marcli liad his licadquarters establislied at Cliarlestown, 
twenty miles from Winchester. General Shields was 
now in his command, and these two generals very soon 
had assembled an army of thirty-six thousand men. 

As Johnston fell back on the eastern side of the Blue 
Ridge, it became necessary for Jackson to fall back on 
the western side, but the question was whether he should 
retire to Front Royal, a village lying at the mouth of 
tlie Luray Valley, which, as we have seen, stretches for 
fifty miles between the Massanutten INIountain and the 
Blue Ridge ; or wliether he should fall back to Stras- 
burg, which village is situated at the head of the main 
valley running down to Staunton. In their communi- 
cations on the subject. General Johnston, while leaving 
General: Jackson to act as he thought best, was in fav^or 
of his falling back down the Luray Valley, as he would 
there be next to the Blue Ridge and in a better position 
to prevent Banks from crossing that ridge to fall upon 
his flank than if he retreated down the main valley. 
But Jackson said that Banks would never cross over the 
Blue Ridge and leave him in the main valley, while by 
staying there he would be in a good position to prevent 
the Central Railroad, leading to Richmond, from being 
cut at Staunton. He accordingly determined to take the 
main valley as his line of retreat, and to fall back first 
to Strasburg. In the mean time, he freed himself of all 
unnecessary incumbrances and got his little army in 
light marching order by sending all his sick and stores 
to Mount Jackson, forty-five miles above AVinchester. 
This was accomplished by the 11th of ^larch. 

The good people of Winchester saw with dismay the 
departure from their town of the stores and sick of Jack- 



KERNSTOWN. 119 

son's army, for they knew too well that it betokened the 
withdrawal at no distant day of the army itself, and the 
relinquishment of their section of the country to the 
invasion of the Northern troops. Gloom and depression 
now filled hearts which had lately beat high with hope 
and patriotic enthusiasm. 

But it was no part of Jackson's plan to leave these 
loyal people without striking a blow in their defense. 
His force consisted now of only three Virginia brigades, 
six batteries of field-artillery, and Colonel Ashby's cav- 
alry regiment; yet on the 11th of March, when Banks 
with a force four times as large marched within four 
miles of Winchester, he did not hesitate to march out 
of the town with his troops to meet him and offer 
him battle. This the Federal commander declined, 
and Jackson, after thus flaunting the Confederate colors 
in his face, led his troops back to the town. But, still 
eager for a fight, he was in no wise discouraged by 
this failure to force one from the enemy, and he con- 
ceived the bold idea of becoming the attacking party 
himself. His plan was to allow his men time to re- 
fresh themselves after the morning's march, and to lead 
them back under cover of the night to the enemy's 
front, and, having silently arranged his forces for the 
attack, to fall unexpectedly upon him before dawn of 
day on the 12th. This attack he was the more anxious 
to make as Shields had not yet joined Banks with his 
reinforcements. He summoned to a council of war the 
commander and the colonels of the Stonewall Brigade to 
lay his plan before them. In the mean time, while they 
were assembling, he went, all booted and spurred, with 
his haversack swung across his shoulders and ready for 
the march, to the house of a friend whose hospitality he 



120 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

had frequently enjoyed while Winchester was his head- 
quarters. He found his friend and his family oppressed 
by the gloom which overspread the whole town. His 
countenance radiant with hope, his eyes flashing with 
the fire of genius and patriotic devotion, full-armed and 
ready for the fray he appeared in their midst, his whole 
bearing breathing the spirit of a war-god. His cheering 
words and hopeful predictions that all would yet be 
well soon dispelled the gloom which had settled on this 
family circle, and after supping with them he asked his 
host to have family prayers as usual, after which, having 
first requested to have his haversack filled, he bade them 
good-night, saying that he would perhaps return the 
next day to dinner. The family, doubtless to share 
with a neighbor the hopes with which his visit had 
cheered them, went out to make a call. In an hour, 
with anxious looks and rapid steps, Jackson returned. 
The servant who answered his loud ring at the bell was 
told to ask his master to come at once to his headquar- 
ters. The gentleman on going there found Jackson 
i:)acing his room in great agitation, and he quickly 
learned from him the cause. He told him of his plan 
of attack on the enemy, and that on laying it before his 
officers they had disapproved of it, saying that the men, 
already wearied with the ten miles' marching to and fro 
of the day, were in no condition to make the march 
back to the enemy's front and then fight a battle, and 
that, in addition to this, the chance that the enemy's re- 
inforcements might come up at a critical time during 
the fight made the plan too hazardous to be undertaken. 
Jackson then in rapidly-spoken words was revealing to 
his friend, as he continued to pace the room, his deep 
disappointment and the anguish it cost him to be forced 



KERNSTOWN. 121 

to leave Winchester without striking a blow, when, stop- 
ping suddenly, with his head thrown back and the light 
falling full upon his countenance, which again became 
animated with an expression of hope, he grasped the 
hilt of his sword, and said, in the slow tones of des- 
perate determination, " But — let me think — can I not 
vet carry my plan into execution ?'' During the mo- 
mentary pause which followed, his friend, who was 
unused to seeing him with his battle-look upon him, 
trembled, as he afterwards confessed, before the fire 
which now glared from his eyes, as, peering into space, 
he vainly sought some expedient to avoid a speedy re- 
treat. The next moment the loftily-raised head dropped, 
and to his fiery looks succeeded those of regret, as he 
said, sadly, "No, I must not do it; it may cost the 
lives of too many brave men. I must retreat, and wait 
for a better time." 

Jackson, after thus giving way for a moment to the 
feelings which agitated him, recovered his usual calm- 
ness, and proposed to return with his friend and bid 
adieu to his family. His altered looks revealed too 
plainly the change in his plans, and his farewell to these 
kind friends was a sad one, though he expressed the firm 
hope that a kind Providence would soon enable him to 
return and free them from the rule of the foe. 

The dawn of the 12th found the Confederate army 
leaving ^yinchester for Strasburg, instead of attacking 
the Federals, as its general had fondly hoped to do. 
When General Banks found that he had now no foe to 
dread, he entered Winchester slowly at nine o'clock the 
same morning. The Confederate force had been so care- 
fully withdrawn that he did not make a single capture, 
though Colonel Ashby withdrew his troops deliberately 
F 11 



122 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

before his advance, and did not himself leave the town 
until the enemy ^Yere close at hand, Avhen, giving a part- 
ing shont of defiance, he turned his horse's head and 
dashed after his bold troopers. General Shields, with 
his part of the Federal forces, did not reach Winchester 
until the afternoon of the 12th. General Banks, having 
occupied AVinchester, and having no fear of Jackson's 
returning, left Shields in command of his army, and 
returned to Washington, fondly hoping that his troops 
could be sent across the Blue Ridge to fall on John- 
ston's flank, or at least that he would hear no more 
from Jackson until he should advance to beat him up 
himself. 

The night of the 12th found Jackson and his little 
army at Strasburg, twenty miles from Winchester. Re- 
tiring slowly up the Yalley, he arrived at Mount Jack- 
son on the 17th, where he halted. Tw^o days after 
reaching this place, he received a dispatch from General 
Johnston, dated the 19th. That commander w^as just at 
the most critical point of his withdrawal from before 
McClellan, who, w^ith his immensely superior force, was 
trying to cut him off, and for this purpose had already 
issued orders calling the troops of Banks across the 
Blue Ridge to attack Johnston's left. The latter gen- 
eral in his dispatch to Jackson urged upon him the 
importance of keeping the enemy in the Yalley and aAvay 
from him, and for this purpose ordered Jackson to march 
back down the Valley and hang as closely upon the 
enemy as he could without risking the capture or de- 
struction of his little army. The Federals had already 
begun their march from the Valley to INIanassas, and 
were moving in the direction of Snicker's Gap, where 
they were to cross the Blue Ridge. 



KERNSTOWN. 123 

The morning of the third day after this dispatch was 
recdved found the indefatigable Jackson again on the 
road and leading his little army back on the line of his 
late retreat. A rapid and hard day's march of twenty- 
six miles brought him on the night of that day, March 
22, to Strasburg. Colonel Ashby, who was sent ahead 
with his cavalry and a light battery, drove the enemy's 
pickets into Winchester. The movement had been so 
rapid on the part of the Confederates that they were 
upon the Federals before they knew anything of their 
approach. Shields, w ho was in command at Winchester, 
had most of his troops encamped on the side of the town 
opposite to that from which Ashby approached. This 
officer, not seeing many in that neighborhood, and hear- 
ino; throuo^h his scouts, Avho entered the town secretlv, 
that many regiments had been sent off in the direction 
of Snicker's Gap, was deceived as to the true size of 
their force. He accordingly sent a courier to General 
Jackson to tell him that there were only four regiments 
in Winchester, and that they were on the eve of leaving 
for Harper's Ferry. 

On receiving this intelligence from Ashby, General 
Jackson determined to push forward, and did so on 
the morning of the 23d. The enemy, however, hav- 
ing heard of his approach, drew out all of his forces, 
which were encamped below the town, and recalled by 
couriers the troops already on their way to Manassas. 
Thus, Jackson, on reaching Barton's Mills, five miles 
distant from Winchester, found Colonel Ashby driven 
back by the advancing columns of the enemy, and him- 
self and his little army in an open, rolling country, not 
offering him any favorable position, and in the presence 
of troops numbering more than four times as many men 



124 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

as be had in liis own command; for, many furloughs 
having been given to officers and men after the late 
retreat, when it had been thought a period of repose 
would follow, and many being either sick or foot-sore 
after the rapid marches which they had made, the little 
army was reduced to two thousand seven hundred men, 
while that of the enemy numbered eleven thousand. 

With no favorable position which he could reach 
within many miles, and yet too far advanced to retreat 
in the face of such a superior force without almost cer- 
tain destruction ; with only a handful of foot-sore and 
wearied men, half of whose officers were absent, to meet 
fresli troops so greatly outnumbering them, never was a 
command in a more perilous situation than Jackson's. 
But his energy and courage were equal to the emergency. 
His spirits rose as the dangers of the situation thick- 
ened around him, and he determined to attack the enemy 
rather than to await an attack from him. 

Running parallel with the turnpike leading to Win- 
chester, and west of it, was a wooded ridge. Around 
the southwestern end of this ridge sweeps the Opequon 
Creek, which is at that point dammed up to form a mill- 
pond. The ridge runs in a northeastern direction for 
two miles, and then slopes down into the plain. On this 
northeastern slope the enemy rested his right wing, while 
his I'eft rested upon the little village of Kernstown. As 
his infantry and artillery were massed on his centre, 
Jackson saw that an attack made there would be the 
certain destruction of his little band, and his soldier's 
eye rested on the northeastern slope of the wooded ridge 
as the only point at which he should begin the attack. 
But being prevented by the mill-pond from ascending the 
ridge at its southwestern end and marcliing along its crest. 



KERXSTOWN. 225 

as would have been the safest approach for him, lie was 
obliged to march his force under fire of the enemy's 
guns in an oblique direction from the turnpike to the 
northeastern slope. This movement was executed 
speedily and in good order. 

It was towards the close of the Sabbath-day— about 
four o'clock in the afternoon — when the necessary ar- 
rangements for the attack were completed. Jackson's 
force — with the exception of a few Marylanders — con- 
sisted entirely of Virginians. On his right, and front- 
ing Kernstown, he placed Ashby, with most of his cav- 
alry, a battery of three guns, and four companies of 
infantry ; the 5th Virginia fronted the enemy's centre, 
and a mile to its left were collected the rest of the troops; 
and there, in an oblique line across and down the western 
slope of the wooded ridge, was formed the main line of 
battle. On a hill beyond the meadows at the base of 
the hill were stationed four companies of cavalry. 

The battle was opened by a brisk cannonade from 
the Confederate batteries which silenced several of the 
enemy's. Then the infantry attack was begun by the 
27th Virginia, and fighting at close quarters was soon 
raging along the whole line. The Confederate troops 
engaged were, for the most part, men from the Valley; 
they were fighting, many of them, in sight of their own 
homes; and never did men rush into battle with greater 
enthusiasm or sustain the shock with more heroic valor. 
Twice did two of the regiments rout their assailants and 
hold the entire Federal line in check until reinforcements 
could be brought to them. As regiment after regiment 
was led into the fight, the tall, commanding figure of 
General Jackson was seen leading them on, and his voice 
was heard ringing out in cheers to his men where the 



126 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

fire was hottest. The cannonade was raging fiercely, 
and told the good people of Winchester the fierce combat 
in which their friends were engaged, and they knew too 
well the odds that were against them. On the right the 
gallant Ashby thundered upon the enemy with his three 
guns, and drove them steadily back. A body of the 
enemy, moving around, attempted to outflank his position 
and capture the guns, but the four companies of Virginia 
infantry, under Ashby, dashed into the woods through 
which they were advancing, and, cheering enthusiastic- 
ally, drove them back while the guns were being moved 
to a safer position. 

On the left the battle still raged Avith unmitigated 
fury. The enemy, feeling secure in his numbers, led one 
regiment up after another as they were driven back by 
the deadly fire of the Ylrginians, wdio three times drove 
their line down the hill. The Federal officers were seen 
in the rear of their men, driving them on to the fight 
Avith the free use of their sabres. The regiments of the 
two armies fired into each other often at a distance of only 
a hundred paces. Colonel Fulkerson, who commanded 
the Third Virginia Brigade, being engaged in a hot con- 
test with a body of the enemy, perceived a stone fence 
between himself and the foe. Both adversaries made 
a rush for it, each hoping to use it as a breastAvork, but 
the superior dash of the Virginians enabled them to 
reach it first, when, throwing themselves on their knees 
behind it, they fired just as the enemy's line was almost 
at the muzzles of their guns. So deadly was this volley 
that thiC enemy's line seemed, it is said, almost '4o sink 
into the earth.'^ Many of their men threw themselves 
upon their faces to escape the fire, vrhile others tried to 
crawl back to their lines; but the unerring Virginia 



KERXSTO WN. 127 

marksmen picked them off. The regiment which was 
thus almost annihilated proved to be the 5th Ohio, which 
more than any other had been engaged in the outrages 
committed in the country around Romney. 

The Virginians availed themselves of every tree and 
ravine as a shelter from which to fire upon the enemy. 
At length the ammunition began to give out, and as 
each man fired his last round his officer permitted him 
to go to the rear, until at last the thinned Confederate 
ranks offered but a shadow of resistance to the fresh 
troops which were constantly being brought up to attack 
them. Finally, General Garnett, of the Stonewall Bri- 
gade, finding his ammunition all gone, and his right 
wing pierced, took upon himself the responsibility of 
ordering the retreat of his command without orders 
from General Jackson. 

The retreat of the whole force now began, and the 
gallant little band fell back from the well-contested field, 
each man taking care of himself, and those who were 
fortunate enough to have a round of ammunition left 
taking advantage of the shelter afforded by every tree 
or bush to reload and give- a farewell shot to the foe. 

The retreat began at about nightfall. The two com- 
panies of Confederate cavalry which Jackson had placed 
on his extreme left now did good service in keeping 
the enemy's cavalry in check, and finally put them to 
flight. On the eastern side of the Opequon, the night 
found a number of Confederate soldiers between the 
mill-pond and the enemy, by whom they were captured. 
The rest of the infantry, broken and shattered, but elated 
at the glorious stand which they had made against the 
foe, retreated a few miles that night to Newtown, where, 
wearied and worn, they halted for the night. General 



128 ^>^^^ ^^ GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

Jackson, having made good his retreat and gathered his 
heroic little band around him, begged some food from a 
party of his soldiers bivouacking around a fire, after 
partaking of which he threw himself on the ground a 
little in the rear of his outposts, and was soon lost in 
profound slumber. 

The gallant Ashby, who had been left to cover the 
retreat, made a stand a mile in the rear of Barton's 
Mills, and so annoyed the enemy that he held him in 
check until ten o'clock the next day. The Federals 
then, after pursuing Jackson cautiously for a few miles, 
returned to their quarters. Jackson ordered his medical 
director to send all his wounded to the rear ; and when 
his surgeon said, " But that requires time. Can you 
stay to protect us ?" " Make yourself easy about that," 
he replied ; " this army stays here until the last wounded 
man is removed.'' And then, in tones betraying deep 
feeling, he added, ''Before I will leave them to the enemy 
I will lose many men more." 

In the mean time, the agony of the people of Win- 
chester about the result of the battle, and their anxiety 
to know who had friends among the dead or the 
wounded, w^ere indescribable. As the Confederate pris- 
oners taken in the fight passed through the streets, the 
inhabitants turned out almost en masse, and made their 
passage through the town lo the depot, where they w^ere 
to take the cars for Baltimore, almost a triumphal march. 
When leave was given to the mayor to send out and bury 
the Confederate dead on the battle-field, persons of all 
ages and all sexes flocked thither. An eye-witness says 
of the scene, — 

" This was Tuesday. The fight had taken place on 
Sunday, and now, on the third day, preparations were 



KEBNSTO WX. 



129 



made for the burial of the Confederate killed. Under 
the directions of the mayor of Winchester, some fifty 
citizens collected the dead, dug a great pit on the battle- 
field, and gently laid the poor fellows in their last rest- 
ing-place. It was a sad sight, and sadder still to see 
women looking carefully at every corpse to try and iden- 
tify the bodies of their friends. Scarcely a family in 
the county but had a relative there; and what torture of 
anxiety must have been suffered, knowing only that their 
friends were in the fight, and ignorant whether they were 
prisoners at Baltimore, suffering in the hospitals, or lying 
unburied on the sand !'^ 

The attentions lavished by the women of Winchester 
on the Confederate wounded brought there knew no 
bounds, and, to their own honor be it said, and that of 
tlie cause they loved so well, their attentions were not 
withheld from the enemy's wounded. 

Such was the glorious little battle of Kernstown, than 
which there was no nob'er fight during the war. Gen- 
eral Jackson himself said of the gallant men in it that 
each man acted the part of a hero. The losses by the 
fight were two guns, three or four caissons, and in killed, 
wounded, and captured a little over seven hundred men, 
or more than one-fourth of the force engaged, while the 
enemy's losses, perhaps, were fully equal to the whole 
number of men that Jackson had in the fight. 

But, whatever were the losses on Jackson's side, this 
battle secured for him what he had made the move to 
get, namely, the recall of the troops sent to join those 
under McClellan, and gave the enemy a proof of Vir- 
ginian valor which he could not soon forjret. 

On the 1st of April, Jackson fell back leisurely five 
miles from Xew Market to a hill called Eeede's Hill, 



130 I-JPE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

where, taking position, he began to reorganize and re- 
crnit his force. Banks soon followed him, and, taking 
position on the opposite range of hills, cannonaded the 
Confederates, without doing them any harm. 

Ashby's fame was now so great that his name had 
become a watchword in the Valley, and so many recruits 
were added to his cavalry companies that they numbered 
two thousand men. But this body of men, which might 
have been such a powerful addition to General Jackson's 
force, was hardly of any use except as scouts, or for a 
raid. Their gallant commander had no talent for organ- 
ization, and there was so little discipline among them 
that they could never be held well in hand and ready to 
strike a decisive blow. This state of affairs was ren- 
dered still worse by the Government making the cavalry 
in the Valley an independent command under Ashby, 
who was thus, with the exception of a major, the only 
field-officer of a regiment which contained eleven com- 
panies of cavalry. Ashby — a man of singular purity 
and amiability of character, brave and generous to a 
fault — had a greater reputation for military talent than 
he was able to support. His dash and coolness, and the 
enthusiasm with which he inspired his men, made him 
invaluable as the leader of a charge, or to make a bold 
front in covering the retreat of a column. But his 
discipline was too lax for him to have his command 
always well in hand; and hence the inefficiency of the 
cavalry attached to General Jackson's little army. 

Jackson having received a small reinforcement, and 
his men and officers who were on furlough returning, he 
now had, including Ash by 's force, eleven thousand men. 

After the battle of Kernstown, he wrote to Mrs. 
Jackson, March 24, — 



KERKSTO IVN. 



131 



" Our God was my shield. His protecting care is an 
additional cause for gratitude. . . . My little army is 
in excellent spirits ; it feels that it inflicted a severe 
blow on the enemy.'^ 

And again, on April 7, — 

"Our gallant little army is increasing in numbers, 
and my prayer is that it may be an army of the living 
God as well as of its country. Yesterday was a lovely 
Sabbath-day. Though I had not the privilege of hear- 
ing the w^ord of life, yet it felt like a holy Sabbath-day, 
beautiful, serene, holy, and lovely. All it w^anted was 
the church-bell and God's services in the sanctuary to 
make it complete. . . . After God, our God, again blesses 
us with peace, I hope to visit this country with you 
and enjoy its beauty and loveliness.'' 



CHAPTER IX. 

WINCHESTER. 

By the middle of April a general change was made in 
the disposition of troops on both sides. General McClel- 
lan, with a single eye to the good of his country, and with 
consummate ability, had perfected early in the spring 
the organization of the magnificent army with which he 
was so soon to take the field. His plan was to move 
on Richmond up the peninsula between the York and 
James Rivers; and for this purpose he left eighteen 
thousand men at Manassas, and embarked with the rest 
of his army for Fortress Monroe. So perfect was the 
organization of this immense force that he handled over 
a hundred thousand men with the same ease that he 
would have moved a regiment. The embarkation of his 
troops began on the 17th of March, at Alexandria, where 
he had assembled four hundred vessels of all kinds to 
take them down to Fortress Monroe. By the 6th of 
April he had landed on the Peninsula one hundred and 
nine thousand four hundred and nineteen men, fourteen 
thousand five hundred and ninety-two animals, forty- 
four batteries, and all the material for such an army, 
having lost in the embarkation only eight mules drowned, 
and nine caissons that had been crushed. But, magnifi- 
cent as this army was, it fell far short in numbers of 
what he had intended it to be. Yielding to IMr. Lin- 
coln's timidity, which was kept alive by the constant 
132 



WINCHESTER. I33 

representations of the exposed condition in which Wash- 
ington would be left, made to him by McClellan's rivals 
and enemies, the young commander-in-chief reduced his 
force to its minimum to leave a strong guard of eighteen 
thousand men at Manassas, where they were to face the 
deserted camps of a departed foe. In the works around 
Washington he had left a strong garrison, and other 
divisions, as we shall see, were strung out in a line 
reaching to the Alleghanies. Patiently submitting to 
the useless withdrawal of so much material from his 
army, McClellan left for Fortress Monroe on the 1st of 
April, with the promise from Mr. Lincoln that all the 
remaining forces waiting for transportation at Alexandria 
should be sent after. His disappointment, then, was great 
and bitter when it was announced to him that McDowell's 
corps, the finest of his army, being thirty-eight thousand 
strong and splendidly equipped, would not be allowed 
to embark ; and this announcement was followed by a 
short note from Mr. Lincoln simply stating that this 
corps had been withdrawn from his command. Later 
McDowell was sent to Fredericksburg, and there con- 
fronted the Confederate general Anderson. 

Upon the Rappahannock was stationed a division of 
the Confederates under General Ewell, to check any 
advance of the Federals on the Orange and Alexandria 
Railroad. 

West of the Blue Ridge was Jackson, with eleven 
thousand men, at Reede's Hill. Banks confronted him 
with tAventy-five thousand men, and a reserve at Stras- 
burg of eleven thousand. He had orders from McClel- 
lan to push on and capture Staunton as soon as he could 
make an advance. Twenty miles west of Staunton, Gen- 
eral Edward Johnson was strongly posted at Shenandoah 

12 



134 I-JFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

Mountain with six regiments. In front of him stood 
the Federal general Milroy, who Avas backed by a force 
under General Schenck in the Yalley of the South 
Branch of the Potomac. The two last-named generals 
were acting under General Fremont, who was organ- 
izing a large force in Northwestern Virginia at Wheel- 
ing. So stood the different commands of the two armies 
on both sides of the Blue Ridge. 

Johnston having left Manassas, there was now no need 
for Jackson to watch the mountain-gaps through which 
the Federals might slip ; and, not expecting any sudden 
call from Johnston to join him, he was enabled to be 
freer and more independent in his movements. 

By the 17th of April the fords of the North Fork of 
the Shenandoah, which lay between Jackson and Banks, 
were so far passable as to make it unsafe for the former 
to remain with his small force so close to an enemy 
superior to him in everything but valor. He therefore 
gave orders for his little band to strike their tent-pins. 
Leaving Reede's Hill on the 17th, he reached Harrison- 
burg after a leisurely march of two days. General Banks 
in the mean while pursuing him so slowly as to prove 
that he dreaded nothing more than to overtake him. At 
Harrisonburg Jackson turned to the east, and, crossing 
the southern end of Massanutten Mountain, left the road 
open before his adversary, and no obstacle between him 
and Staunton. But he dared not continue his march to 
that place, for fear of Jackson falling in some unexpected 
way on his rear. Jackson continued his march, and, 
having crossed the South Fork of the Shenandoah, 
halted at last in Swift Run Gap. 

In that gap he rested for a fortnight, and during that 
time corresponded with General Lee as to the plans for 



WINCHES TEE . 135 

the movements in the Valley. General Lee leaving him 
to act as he thought best, he suggested and adopted tlie 
following plan. General Ewell should be called with his 
force to Swift Run Gap, and there remain, while Jackson 
going to Staunton should from there move on Shen- 
andoah Mountain and join General Edward Johnson. 
They would then capture or put to flight Milroy, and 
with their united forces return to join Ewell. The 
three combined would then clear the Valley of Banks 
and his forces. 

General Ewell was accordingly ordered to Swift Run 
Gap, which he entered on the afternoon of the 30th of 
April, just after Jackson had moved out. EwelPs force 
consisted of eight thousand picked men. They were 
filled with all the impatience for active service which 
is felt by troops in fine condition and good heart who 
have been long lying idle in camp ; they were therefore 
eager for the fray. 

Jackson, since his departure from Harrisonburg, had 
been lost to Banks, who on the 20th telegraphed to 
McClellan that Jackson's "flight from the Valley" 
had been confirmed by scouts, and it was believed he had 
gone by the mountain road to Gordonsville. Jackson, 
wishing to conceal his march to Staunton, and to mystify 
the Federal commander still more as to his movements, 
did not march directly across the South Fork of the 
Shenandoah to Staunton. He moved quietly up the 
eastern bank of that little stream until he reached the 
small village of Port Republic, when, facing to the east, 
he ascended the Blue Ridge, and, passing through 
Brown's Gap, dropped unexpectedly with his command 
down into Albemarle County. He then moved rapidly 
southward for a few miles along the eastern base of the 



136 ^^^^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

Blue Ridge until he reached the Central Railroad. Here 
his troops were placed on trains and taken to Staunton. 
In the march from the Valley into Albemarle, before 
reaching the western slope of the Blue Ridge, the little 
army had to cross a broad plain. The incessant rains 
had rendered the roads traversing these flats almost im- 
passable, and so great was the difficulty of moving the 
wagons across these beds of mud — for they were nothing 
more — that to a less determined and energetic com- 
mander it would have been an insurmountable obstacle. 
For a day and a half the wagons were floundering along 
through the mud, and before they could be moved the 
roads had sometimes to be paved. In this laborious 
work no one took a more active part than Jackson him- 
self. His uniform was bespattered with mud, as in his 
eagerness to push the work forward he carried timber 
and stones on his shoulders. After the last wagon had 
crossed the muddy level and struck the firm stony roads 
of the mountain-sides the troops had no further hin- 
derance in their circuitous march to Staunton. 

If an angel had dropped down in their midst, the good 
people of Staunton could not have been more astonished 
or delighted than they were by General Jackson's ar- 
rival. Like Banks, they thought he had withdrawn 
from the Valley and left them to fall into the hands of 
the enemy. The rumor of his evacuation of the Valley 
had even reached the Confederate commander at Shen- 
andoah. The officer in command during a temporary 
absence of General Johnson thought it necessary to 
fall back before an enemy who was already sorely 
pressing him. He accordingly retreated to West View, 
a point within six miles of Staunton. Jackson, hearing 
of this move on his arrival at Staunton, was impatient 



WINCHESTER. 1 37 

to join Johnson's command, which he successfully ac- 
complished. 

He allowed his troops one day's rest, and on Wednes- 
day, the 7th of May, the army marched forward to attack 
the Federal forces under Milroy. A march of a few 
miles brought the hostile armies face to face. A slight 
collision occurred, and the enemy fell back before the 
Confederate advance. He abandoned the position on 
Shenandoah Mountain, and continued to retreat to the 
village of McDowell. The Confederates slept that night 
upon the sides of Shenandoah Mountain, and early the 
next morning resumed their march and began to ascend 
Bull Pasture Mountain, beyond which the enemy lay. 
This mountain spreads out on its summit into a breadth 
of two miles, which is studded by steep, precipitous hills. 
The two Confederate generals rode ahead of the troops, 
and, ascending this mountain, viewed the enemy's posi- 
tion from its summit. Jackson's eye discovered a point 
in the enemy's rear by gaining possession of which he 
could cut off his retreat and make good his capture. 
He accordingly gave orders for the artillery to be 
moved forward to that point, and declined to have any 
of it brought up on the summit of the mountain, from 
whence he was making his observations. Not expecting 
any engagement that day, he dismissed most of his 
staff. 

Milroy, however, having been reinforced by the ar- 
rival of General Schenck with three thousand men, de- 
termined to attack the Confederates and drive them from 
their strong position. The engagement began at four 
o'clock in the afternoon, and raged furiously until eight, 
when the enemy, having been unable to make any im- 
pression on the Confederates, ceased firing. In this fight 

11- 



138 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

the Confederates used no artillery. They lost in killed 
and wounded four hundred and sixty men. 

The troops behaved with great gallantry, the 12th 
Georgia being conspicuous for the daring bravery of its 
men and officers. At one time dnring the fight they 
stood on the crest of a hill, and their figures, being 
thrown out in bold relief against the sky, offered good 
marks to the enemy, who poured their fire mercilessly 
into their ranks. Order after order was given by their 
officers for them to retire beloAv the crest of the hill, but 
they obstinately refused to yield an inch. At length one 
of the officers succeeded in forcing back one wing of the 
regiment; but as he moved along the line to force the 
whole of it back, this wing swung back into its former 
position, and was as nuich exposed as ever. The losses 
in this regiment were more than one-third of the whole 
loss sustained in the fight. 

By nine o'clock that night the men, wearied by their 
march and fight, began to bivouack and to seek that re- 
pose so sweet to the wearied soldier. Jackson did not 
leave the field until the last wounded man had been re- 
moved. Having gazed long down the valley leading to 
McDowell, and watched the enemy's camp-fires in a full 
blaze of light, he at last retired to his headquarters an 
hour after midnight, and threw himself on a bed. He 
was so overcome by fatigue that, though he had eaten 
nothing since morning, he exclaimed, "I want nothing, 
— nothing but sleep," when his servant offered him food. 

By early dawn he was again in the saddle, and the first 
thing which greeted his sight was the smoking ruins of 
Milroy's stores and provisions. That general, becoming 
alarmed at the repulse he had met, had quietly Avith- 
drawu his forces in the night, and was in full retreat. 



WINCHESTER. ]39 

His plan was to move west for a few miles, and then 
turn north and march down the valley of the South 
Branch of the Potomac towards Franklin and Romney, 
in the hope of meeting Fremont with his forces. 

As soon as he found that the bird was flown, Jack- 
son determined to give him chase; but before he left he 
sent to Eichmond the following simple announcement 
of his victory : 

"God blessed our arms with victory at McDowell 
yesterday." 

The army was collected in the valley leading Avest 
from McDowell, and the pursuit began. All the moun- 
tain-passes on the east through which Banks might send 
aid to the flying foe were obstructed, and the people of 
the country were exhorted to cut the bridges in front of 
him, and to do everything to obstruct his path. Milroy 
was soon so hard pressed by the Confederates that his rear- 
guard had to turn and make a stand. General Jackson 
saw this with delight, and immediately gave orders for 
a battle ; but before they could be executed the enemy 
was again on the wing. He was now pressed so hard 
by his eager pursuers that to impede their march and 
conceal his own movement he fell upon the expedient of 
setting fire to the woods. It proved a most fortunate 
thing for him, for the country was soon so overclouded 
with smoke that the pursuing army could not see whither 
they were going nor what forces might be hanging unseen 
on their flanks. But still ih^ cry was "Forward!" and 
the line of skirmishers on each side of the road pushed 
their way through the smoking forests, closely followed 
by the army. Jackson himself, in his eagerness to catch 
the enemy, was at times far ahead of his command. 
Finally, seeing that he could not gain upon him at all. 



140 I-JPF- OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

and having driven him into the village of Franklin, by 
Sunday night he determined to abandon the pursuit and 
return to the Valley, whence he hoped to drive Banks. 
He had, moreover, received a message from General Lee 
calling him to him. 

Before beginning his march on his return, he allowed 
his soldiers to rest for half a day on Monday, and issued 
the following order : 

' ^'Soldiers of the Army of the Valley and Northwest, 
— I congratulate you on your recent victory at McDow- 
ell. I request you to unite with me this morning in 
thanksgiving to Almighty God for thus having crowned 
your arms with success, and in praying that He will con- 
tinue to lead you on from victory to victory, until our 
independence shall be established, and make us that 
people whose God is the Lord. 

" The chaplains will hold divine service at ten o'clock 
A.M. this day, in their respective regiments.'' 

The early rays of the morning sun found the men re- 
posing in cool pastures covered with the richest verdure 
of spring, and the heavy dews of morning had scarcely 
disappeared before their voices were heard singing hymns 
of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord of Hosts and 
God of Battles. The last sounds of these had scarcely 
died away when the order was given to march, and, the 
little army getting into motion, the picturesque scenes of 
these mountains were once more left to silence and soli- 
tude. The command reached ^IcDowell on Wednesday. 
As soon as Jackson abandoned the pursuit of ^lilroy he 
had sent a courier to General Ewell to inform him that 
he was on his way back. 

While Milroy and his army were thus being chased 
like a fleck of frightened sheep through the mountains 



WINCHESTER. -j^l 

of Virginia, where was Banks? When he discovered 
that Ewell was occupying Swift Kun Gap, and that 
Jackson was gone, no one knew whither, filled with 
alarm lest some mysterious move was designed on him, 
he determined to save himself by flight. With his 
twenty thousand men— more than Jackson and Ewell 
had together— he beat a retreat, and fell back from 
Harrisonburg to Strasburg, closely pursued by Ashby 
and his dashing troopers, leaving, however, in the neigh- 
borhood of New Market a heavy rear-guard. 

When this unlucky general heard of Milroy's retreat, 
he hurried off to his assistance with Blenker's division,' 
which reached him just too late to be of any use. By 
another fatal mistake, he sent his two best brigades— 
Shields's and KimbalFs, which together contained seven 
thousand men— across the Blue Eidge to join the Fed- 
eral forces on the Rappahannock. This was particularly 
unfortunate for him, as Shields held the Xew Market Gap 
in Massanutten Mountain, the only pass from the Great 
Valley into the Luray Valley, which lies between Mas- 
sanutten Mountain and the BJue Eidge. At the moment, 
then, when Jackson was about to pounce upon him like 
an eagle on his prey, his forces were scattered, and by the 
evacuation of New Market Gap he left the Confederate 
chief free to attack him in front and on his flank. 

Ewell had just received the message from Jackson 
telling him to hold himself in readiness to join him at 
Harrisonburg and with their united forces move upon 
thQ enemy, when an order came from the commander- 
in-chief calling him with his force back to Gordons- 
ville. Knowing what a blow this would be to Jackson, 
destroying, as it would do, his plans, he determined to 
have an interview with him before obeying the order. 



142 I-^FE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

He therefore mounted his horse, and, setting out without 
an escort, rode night and day until he reached Mossy 
Creek, where he found Jackson on Sunday, the 18th of 
May. He told him of the order he had received, and the 
grief it gave him to be compelled to w^ithdraw his force 
at a time when, of all others, it would be most useful 
and necessary to him. As Jackson listened, the vision of 
the brilliant moves and splendid successes wdiich he had 
planned vanished, but, with characteristic resignation, 
and casting no blame upon any one, he said, sadly, 
" Then Providence denies me the privilege of striking 
a decisive blow for my country, and I must be satisfied 
with the humble task of hiding my little army among 
these mountains to watch a superior force." Ewell, see- 
ing how keenly he felt the disappointment, said that if 
Jackson, as liis ranking officer, would take the responsi- 
bility, he would remain until the commander-in-chief 
could at least hear the reasons for his detention. This 
Jackson promptly consented to do, and it was then hur- 
riedly arranged between them that they should join their 
forces at New ^larket, a day's march below Harrison- 
burg. In a short time Ewell was again in the saddle 
and riding post-haste back to his division. 

Ashby, in the mean time, was hovering on the enemy's 
front, and his troopers scoured the country, and thus 
cut him off from all news of Jackson's movements, so 
that he was ignorant of the toils prepared to entrap 
him. All was now ready for the advance ; and never was 
an army in better heart for a fight. The forces under 
Jackson had returned from their pursuit of Milroy, 
flashed with victory and well trained for swift marches 
and shar]) fighting. In Ewell's command they found 
men chafing with impatience at their prolonged inactivity, 



WINCHESTER. 243 

and eager to cross swords with the foe. The two com- 
mands rushed forward with deh'glit to meet each other, 
and, having joined forces, were ready to sweep down 
the Valley with all the impetuosity of men confident of 
success. This was particularly the case with the Loui- 
sianians of this command in Taylor's brigade. The 
fall of ^^ew Orleans, Butler's outrages, and the pub- 
lished appeal from the defenseless women against whom 
he was warring, all conspired to fire their hearts and 
give them such incentives to march upon the foe as 
happily for mankind, rarely occur in civilized warfare. 

Banks was lying in fancied security in his intrench- 
ments at Strasburg in the main valley, while silently 
and swiftly Jackson and Ew^ell were moving upon him 
down the Luray Yalley. 

The little village of Front Royal lies, as we have 
seen, at the mouth of the Luray Valley. On a line 
with this place, and west of the northern termination 
of Massanutten Mountain, lies Strasburg. Jackson's 
object was to capture the Federal force at Front Royal, 
and throw a part of his force forward on the road to 
Winchester, while with the rest he would march west- 
ward, and, striking the large Valley turnpike at some 
point between Strasburg and Winchester, cut oif Banks's 
retreat to this last place, or fall upon his flank should he 
already have begun his march. 

The advance-guard of the Confederate army, consisting 
of the 1st Maryland Regiment and Wheat's battalion, 
under command of General Stewart, pushed rapidly for- 
ward for Front Royal. In order to make the surprise 
of that place more complete, they turned off from i\\Q 
turnpike, moving from ih^ south, and, marching to the 
right, approached the town from the east along a rugged 



144 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

j^th leading over the hills. They arrived about two 
o'clock in the afternoon of May 23; and so unexpected 
was their arrival that the Confederate volley fired into 
the town was the first information the enemy had of 
their approach. Strangely enough, it happened that 
the 1st Maryland Regiment of the United States army 
was one of those which occupied the town, and when 
the 1st Maryland of the Confederate army rushed in 
they found themselves encountering in combat their 
acquaintances and, in many instances, relatives. Two 
brothers being on opposite sides, one was captured by 
the other, each thinking himself the patriot and his 
brother the traitor. So great are the horrors of civil 
war ! The Federal forces were driven quickly through 
the town, but on reaching a hill overlooking it on the 
side next to Winchester they halted and made a stand. 
They, began at once to cannonade the Confederates, who, 
disregarding their fire, ran across the fields to attack 
them. The main body of the army having now come 
up, the advance-guard were wtII supported; but the 
enemy w^ere driven from the hill by the skirmishers 
before the support could get into action. General Jack- 
son dashed forward to the summit of the hill, from 
whence he got a full view of the enemy. Beyond the 
hill flowed the South Branch of the Shenandoah, and 
along its nearer bank w^ere the tents of the enemy's 
camp, which, having been fired by them, were now in 
full blaze. Stretching along the road leading up from 
the opposite bank w^as the column of the enemy's infantry 
in full retreat. As Jackson beheld their closely-serried 
ranks, he exclaimed, in a tone of impatient regret, *^0h, 
wdiat an opportunity for artillery ! Oh that my guns 
were but here !" He knew that they were almost too 



WINCHESTER. I45 

far behind for it to be possible to get them up in time, 
but, hoping against hope, he turned quickly to one of his 
aides and ordered him to dash to the rear and "order up 
every rifled gun and every brigade in the army." The 
guns were hurried forward, but before they could be 
placed in position the enemy were out of range and the 
Confederates were in hot pursuit. 

General Jackson had sent a courier back from Front 
Koyal to order the rest of the army to come up by the 
turnpike leading directly to the town, and not to folloAV 
the rough, circuitous route which the advance-guard had 
taken. But the courier, being a timid boy unused to 
war's alarms, became frightened at the roar of the can- 
non, and slunk off into the mountains out of hearin<r, 
and the rear brigades of the army toiled along without 
guides over the track which had been followed by the 
advance-guard, so that they did not reach the town 
until nightfall, and were then too weary and foot-sore 
to join in the pursuit. 

After crossing the South Branch of the Shenandoah, 
the enemy had to pass th6 North Branch. The Confed- 
erate cavalry crossed the South Branch above the point 
where they had crossed in order to cut off their commu- 
nications with Strasburg, and now pressed down upon 
the enemy retreating on the AVinchester road. The lat- 
ter crossed the North Branch safely, and tried to burn 
the bridge after them. The Confederates, however, ex- 
tinguished the flames, though not before they had burnt 
a span of the bridge. Colonel Flournoy, of the Confed- 
erate cavalry, succeeded with great difficulty in getting 
four companies of his regiment across the stream. With 
them General Jackson crossed, and, leaving orders for 
the rest of the cavalry to hurry on, with this small force 
G 13 



146 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

he tliundered along in pursuit of the flying foe. They 
overtook them at Cedarville, five miles from Front 
Royal. The enemy, numbering about a thousand, fell 
into line and formed in order of battle. " Charge !'^ 
shouted Jackson as he saw this. The word thrilled 
through the little Confederate band of two hundred and 
fifty men like an electric shock. Their commander, 
Colonel Flournoy, instantly dashed his force in a column 
against the serried ranks of the enemy and broke their 
centre. They soon re-formed, however, but were again 
charged by the Confederate troopers, and again broken. 
Xow, panic-stricken, their cavalry fled, the gunners 
abandoned their guns, and the infantry threw down their 
arms and were scattered. By this time the rest of the 
Confederate force was arriving, and the enemy were cap- 
tured, giving the Confederates seven hundred prisoners 
and two guns. General Jackson was enthusiastic in his 
expression of admiration of the gallant conduct of the 
Confederate cavalry in this engagement. 

In the mean while, General Ewell, who had been ad- 
vancing on the road to Winchester, arrived within four 
miles of that town. General Jackson determined to 
move from Cedarville with the rest of his force still 
farther across the Valley, to Middletown, a village be- 
tween Strasburg and Winchester, six miles from the 
former })lace and thirteen from the latter. 

The force moved forward for INliddletown early on 
Saturday morning, jMay 24. Ashby, with his cavalry, 
and Chew's battery, led the van. About midway between 
Cedarville and Middletown they were confronted by a 
force of Federal cavalry, which a few shots from a sec- 
tion of artillery scattered and caused to disappear. The 
army now advanced rapidly to Middletown, General 



WINCHES TER. 147 

Jackson hurrying everytliing forward. At length, when 
he came in siglit of the town, he saw the long line of 
Banks's army filling the streets and the road beyond, in 
full retreat. Away dashed Ashby and his men, with 
loud shouts, right down upon their flank, breaking 
through their line, while the artillery poured shot and 
shell into their ranks. Then came the infantry at a 
double-quick, cheering as they ran, and firing deadly 
volleys into the mass of terrified men and horses that 
thronged the main street of the village. It is impossible 
to describe the scene of confusion and carna":e that 
followed. Numbers of the enemy's cavalrymen threw 
themselves from their horses and sought protection be- 
hind the stone fences, where they promptly surrendered 
when summoned to do so. 

In this encounter the Confederates captured two hun- 
dred prisoners and horses, with their arms and equip- 
ments. Upon inquiry, Jackson learned from the inhab- 
itants of the village, that the enemy had been passing 
through it since early in the morning. He could not 
discover, however, what force was still left at Strasburg. 
That the enemy still had some troops there soon became 
apparent, for they began to shell Middletown from that 
direction. General Jackson ordered a force to advance 
and meet their attack ; but the enemy made no stand, and, 
retreating hastily, burned the bridge over Cedar Creek, 
which flowed between them and the Confederates ; and 
so ended all further pursuit towards Strasburg. This 
force left at Strasburg, which was probably small, after- 
wards made good its escape towards the North. 

All the Confederate forces were now pushing forward 
and centring on Winchester. The enemy's wagon-trains 
were here and there found deserted, and standing with 



148 LIFE OF GEXERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

tlie horses attached to tliein. Everything betokened a 
disgraceful flight on their part. Jackson began now to 
feel cruelly the inefficiency of the cavalry, and to see the 
success of his movements marred by the want of horse- 
men to press the retreating foe. After the fii'st engage- 
ment, the fine body of horse which Ashby had around 
him melted away like mist before the sun. Every man 
had turned aside from the pursuit to plunder and secure 
booty for himself out of the abundant stores left by the 
enemy. So little was the enemy harassed by them that, 
on reaching Newtown, a few miles from Winchester, 
they were encouraged to make a stand, and, planting a 
battevy on each side of the village, once more presented 
a show of resistance. Nor could they again be put to 
flight until sunset, by which time they had burned many 
of their wagons and valuable stores. 

Saturday night came, and found the enemy again on 
the wing, and Jackson in pursuit. The stone fences 
along each side of the road formed a good protection, 
behind which their sharp-shooters fired on the Confeder- 
ate advance and retarded their pursuit. General Jackson, 
being always in advance, was in great danger, but in his 
eao^erness rode ahead all nioht, surrounded bv a small 
ca val ry escort. Once or tAvice they were surprised by a fi re 
from a concealed party of the enemy. The first time this 
occurred, General Jackson called out to the cavalrymen, 
''Charge them! chai^ge them !'^ and his indignation knew 
no bounds when, after a timid advance, they turned and 
fled at the second volley from the Federals. Skirmishers 
were now ordered to be thrown out on each side of the 
road and sweep away the enemy's riflemen, who lined 
the fences. Thus the advance continued all night, the 
skirmishers untiringly pushing their way through the 



WINCHES TER. 1 4 9 

rank grass-fields, reeking with dew, which stretched out 
on either side of the road. At Barton's Mill the Fed- 
erals made another stand, and a sharp fight ensued be- 
fore they could be dislodged. At length, when they 
were within a mile or two of Winchester, Jackson 
ordered a halt for a short rest, and the wearied men 
threw themselves on the ground where they stood, and 
slept on their arms, while their untiring and vigilant 
commander stood as a sentinel at the head of the colamn, 
in the chill night air, straining his ear to catch every 
sound which might betoken an unusual move on the 
front. 

At dawn, Jackson gave in an undertone the command, 
" Forward, march,'' which roused the men from their 
deep slumbers, as one sentinel after another took it up 
and passed it down the line. Dripping with the dew^s 
of the night, they arose, and as every man took his place 
in the ranks the first dim light of early dawn disclosed 
the heights of Winchester, and on them the indistinct 
forms of the enemy's skirmishers. A salvo of artillery 
and the rattle of musketry resounded through the hills 
and vales of this lovely region as the sun rose and 
ushered in a Sabbath May morn. The enemy made a 
fierce attack with their artillery, and Jackson, as he rode 
forward to reconnoitre their position, had an officer shot 
down on each side of him. 

General Ewell's command, on the right, had slept 
that night within two miles of Winchester, and they, 
too, began with the daw^n to move forward, and their 
guns were soon re-echoing the sound of those of their 
comrades in arms on the left. All was now ready to give 
the enemy a finishing blow. General Jackson, fearing 
that they might seize a wooded height on the left, which 

13* 



150 ^^^^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

commanded liis position, sent a messenger to order the 
Louisiana Brigade, held in reserve, under General Tay- 
lor, to move forward in that direction. Since the sound 
of the first gun, that officer and his command had waited 
impatiently for the order to advance, and as he saw the 
messenger approaching he spurred his horse forward to 
meet him. Plis fine brigade rushed forward as soon as the 
command to advance was given, and under the hottest fire 
of shot and shell wheeled into line. Seeing them fairly 
under Avay, Jackson rode again to the brow of the hill to 
reconnoitre the enemy^s position, and as he reached its 
crest beheld Swell's forces sweeping around on the right, 
and the enemy, beaten out of their lurking-places, flying 
frantically towards the town. "Forward after the 
enemy !" shouted Jackson ; and the whole line dashed 
ahead in the wildest enthusiasm. Into the streets of the 
town rushed friend and foe. The surging mass rolled 
on ; but as the inhabitants of the town caught the first 
glimpse of the Confederate uniform and saw the Con- 
federate banners borne so proudly aloft, they rushed into 
the streets in the wildest joy and enthusiasm to welcome 
their countrymen and deliverers. All ages and all sexes 
mino-led tos^ether, and for a time the chase after the 
enemy was impeded by the overjoyed inhabitants, who 
rushed from their houses utterly regardless of the shots 
that now and then rattled along the streets. Indeed, 
the women of the town, running out, pushed aside the 
bayonets of the gallant pursuers and pressed into the 
ranks to welcome their friends. Thus the whole mass, 
friend and foe, footmen and horsemen, surged along, 
until, reaching at last the open fields north of the town, 
the cohimn spread out over the country. Heading the 
pursuit and cheering on his men towered the tall form 



WINCHESTER. 151 

of Jackson, who, carried away by the enthusiasm of suc- 
cess and the wild joy of their reception in Winches- 
ter, his face flushed by the excitement of the scene, 
dashed wildly forward, the impersonation of valor and 
patriotic devotion. " What shall we do now, general?" 
said one of his staff, as they reached the summit of a 
hill, whence they saw the dense masses of the enemy 
flying across the fields in front of them. '^Let us hur- 
rah !'^ said the general, with the enthusiasm of a boy, 
as, reining up his horse, he waved his hat over his 
head. The shout which followed rent the air. But the 
next moment Jackson was the soldier again, and, as he 
watched the black masses of the enemy rolling over 
the fields out of the reach of his fi\Int yet pursuing 
infantry, he exclaimed, In a tone of bitter regret, '^ Oh 
that my cavalry were in place ! IS'ever was there such 
a chance for cavalry !" Alas ! Avhere was that recreant 
cavalry? In the rear, plundering the enemy's deserted 
train, or, loaded with booty, on their way to their moun- 
tain homes. So ineflicient is undisciplined valor ! An 
oflicer, standing by, suggested that the light field-bat- 
teries should be brought up to bear upon the flying foe. 
" Yes," he replied, eagerly ; " go back and order up 
the nearest batteries you find." And again. In a few 
minutes, turning quickly to a member of his staff, he 
ordered him, in a tone whose sternness amounted almost 
to fierceness, to '^ go to the rear and order every battery 
and brigade forward to the Potomac." Then, as his 
lonirino: eyes were turned back towards the fast-retreat- 
ing ranks of the Federals, again the sight wrung from 
him the exclamation, " Oh, for the cavalry ! Never was 
it in the power of cavalry to reap a richer harvest of 
the fruits of victory!" 



152 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

The 2d and 6tli Kegiments of cavalry, which were 
intact, and might have been hurled upon the enemy, 
did not receive orders to join in the pursuit until i\\Q 
enemy were far advanced in their rush for the Potomac. 
After pursuing them with infantry and artillery until 
near noon, and seeing his wearied soldiers sinking ex- 
hausted beneath the warm rays of the noonday sun. 
General Jackson was obliged to abandon the pursuit. 
The cavalry, as they came up, continued it until they 
drove the enemy into Martinsburg or across the Poto- 
mac. Among the first fugitives who entered Martins- 
burg was the Federal general Banks. 

General Jaclvson, as soon as he saw that his presence 
was no longer needed on the field, turned his horse's 
head towards AVinchester. On reaching the town, he 
went directly to a hotel, and, refusing to stop to partake 
of a repast, asked only for a room, into which he was 
no sooner ushered than, throwing himself on his face on 
a bed, all booted and spurred as he was, he had in a 
moment sunk into profound slumber. 

On the next day. May 26, he wrote to Mrs. Jackson 
from Winchester, — 

*'An ever-kind Providence blessed us with success at 
Front Royal on Friday, between Strasburg and AYin- 
chester on Saturday, and here with a successful engage- 
ment yesterday. ... I do not remember having ever 
seen such rejoicing as was manifested by the people of 
Winchester as our army yesterday passed through the 
town in pursuit of the enemy. The town was nearly 
frantic with joy. Cur entrance into Winchester was 
one of the most stirring scenes of my life. Such joy as 
the inhabitants manifested cannot easily be described.'' 

The confusion caused by the rush of the pursued and 



WINCHESTER. I53 

pursuers through the town was increased by the burning 
of some buildings which the enemy fired as they left. 
The whole town might have been soon wrapped in flames, 
but for the energy of some of the older inhabitants, who, 
recovering from the excitement of the scene, began to 
take steps to subdue the flames. The women joined in 
the efforts, and, it is pleasing to record, were among the 
foremost of those who, at the risk of their lives, rushed 
into the burning buildings and dragged out some sick 
and wounded Federal soldiers, who had been left by 
their comrades to perish in the flames or save themselves 
as best they might. 

The following is a description of the flight of the 
Federal troops through AVinchester, by one who witnessed 
the scene and favored the success of the Federal army: 

^' During breakfast I heard the tramping of horses 
upon the road and the heavy rolling of artillery over 
the pavements. Certainly, I thought, there can be no 
haste ; we shall not be compelled to leave AVinchester. 

'^ Presently there was a commotion, a sobbing among 
the women, and a running to and fro, which brought me 
to my feet in time to find our forces were started on a 
hasty retreat ; and, as I saw flames rising from the burn- 
ing buildings not far ofl', and heavy volumes of smoke 
roll upward from them, I began to realize that we were 
to abandon AVinchester. The enemy were in the other 
end of the town, as the rattle and echo of the musketry 
up the streets and between the houses most plainly in- 
dicated. All the streets were in commotion. Cavalry 
were rushing disorderly away, and infimtry, frightened 
by the rapidity of their mounted companions, were in 
consternation. All ^vere trying to escape faster than 
their neighbors, dreading most of all to be the last. 



154 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

" Presently the enemy's cannon boomed in the rear, 
and a small cloud of smoke in the sky, suddenly ap- 
pearing and then dissolving, showed where the ball had 
exploded. Some shell fell among our men, and the 
panic was quite general for a short time. Guns, knap- 
sacks, cartridge-boxes, bayonets, and bayonet-cases lay 
scattered upon the ground in great confusion, thr 
away by the panic-stricken soldiers." 



own 



CHAPTEE X. 

THE RETREAT DOWN THE VAELEY. 

On abandoning tlie retreat of Banks, General Jackson 
ordered his army to go into camp at a point three miles 
north of Winchester. Monday, the day after the en- 
gagements around Winchester, was spent in repose and 
religious services, the following general order being issued 
by the commanding general on the morning of that day : 

"Within four weeks this army has made long and 
rapid marches, fought six combats and two battles, sig- 
nally defeating the enemy in each one, captured several 
stands of colors and pieces of artillery, with numerous 
prisoners, and vast medical, ordnance, and army stores; 
and, finally, driven the boastful host which was ravaging 
our beautiful country into utter rout. The general com- 
manding would warmly express to the officers and men 
under his command his joy in their achievements, and 
his thanks for their brilliant gallantry in action and their 
patient obedience under the hardships of forced marches; 
often more painful to the brave soldier than the dangers 
of battle. The explanation of the severe exertions to 
which the commanding general called the army, which 
were endured by them with such cheerful confidence in 
him, is now given in the victory of yesterday. He re- 
ceives this proof of their confidence in the past with 
pride and gratitude, and asks only a similar confidence 

in the future. 

155 



156 r^JFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

'' But his chief duty to-clay, and that of the army, is 
to recognize devoutly tlie hand of a protecting Provi- 
dence in the brilliant successes of the last three days 
(which have given us the results of a great victory with- 
out great losses), and to make the oblation of our thanks 
to God for his mercies to us and our country in heartfelt 
acts of religious worship. For this pur])ose the troops 
will remain in camp to-day, suspending as far as prac- 
ticable all military exercises, and the chaplains of regi- 
ments will hold divine service in their several charges at 
four o'clock P.M.'' 

After allowing his army a rest of two days, Jack- 
son, eager to reap the fruits of his victories, ordered 
the advance to be coutinued, and on the 28th of May 
the army started for Charlestown, eight miles from 
Harper's Ferry. When within a mile of the town, the 
Confederate advance on emcro^ins; from a wood found 
the force of the enemy, about fifteen hundred strong, 
drawn up in line of battle. The gallant Winder, in 
command of the advance, without waiting for the rest 
of the army to come up, made an immediate attack. A 
few well-directed shots fired at the Federals from a field- 
battery broke their lines, and, abandoning their arms 
and baggage, they fled from the field in disorder. The 
Confederates pursued them closely to wnthin two miles 
of the Potomac, when, giving up the chase, they returned 
to the neighborhood of Charlestown. The next day 
the whole army advanced to Halltown, a mile or two 
from the Potomac. 

Thus Jackson in one week swept the Valley clear of 
the enemy who had so plundered and outraged its peace- 
ful inhabitants, and now stood, as it were, with his little 
army thundering at the gateway of the avenue leading 



THE RETREAT DOWN THE VALLEY. 157 

to the Federal capital. For his plan was to threaten 
an invasion of Maryland, and, by making the feint of a 
move on Washington, to force the enemy to recall some 
of his forces which were now assembled in such formi- 
dable numbers around Richmond. He hurried a trusty 
messenger off to Richmond to ask the authorities for 
reinforcements, and to point out to them that the best 
and surest way of breaking up the formidable lines with 
which the enemy was now enveloping Richmond was to 
give him a force with which he could attack the Federal 
capital. ^' Tell them,^' he said, " that I have now but 
fifteen thousand effective men. If the present opening 
is improved as it should be, I must have forty thou- 
sand.^^ But, as in the case of so many other Confeder- 
ate victories, the fruits of his brilliant successes Avere 
to be partially lost from want of force with which to 
reap them, for the reinforcements so much needed by 
him could not be withdrawn from the defense of Rich- 
mond. 

On the 29th of May, just after General Jackson had 
begun to make the movements necessary for an attack on 
Harper's Ferry, he received the startling intelligence 
that Fremont was moving with a heavy force from the 
northwest down to Strasburg, while Shields, having 
been ordered to retrace his steps, was moving back 
from the east for the Valley, and the two, forming a 
union at Strasburg, were to fall upon his rear and cut 
off his retreat. Already the advance-guard of Shields's 
force had entered Front Royal, and, driving out the 
12th Georgia, which had been left as a guard, had 
recaptured the prisoners left there, and forced the Con- 
federates to fire the captured stores to prevent their 
being also retaken. 

14 



158 LJFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

With a full appreciation of the perils of his situation, 
General Jackson confronted them with an undaunted 
spirit, and with his characteristic energy and skill at 
once took steps to insure his escape from the trap which 
had been laid for him. Orders were immediately given 
for a speedy but orderly retreat, and by the afternoon of 
the 30th the whole army was on the march. General 
Jackson, going in advance, found on reaching Winchester 
that the enemy were so close upon Strasburg, and bearing 
down upon it so rapidly, that in order to save himself 
from being cut off he must get his army safely through 
that place by noon of the next day, — May 31. Orders 
for moving rapidly forward were again given, and the 
little band moved swiftly but steadily ahead. The 
energy and enthusiasm inspired by their confidence in 
their leader enabled the men to make marches scarcely 
surpassed in the annals of war for their celerity. The 
faithful Stonew^all Brigade marched thirty- five miles 
over muddy roads and under spring showers without 
pausing, while the 2d Virginia Kegiment, which was 
farther in the rear, marched forty miles without rations. 
In so orderly a manner was this skillful retreat begun 
that not a man nor a gun was left behind. The 21st 
Virginia started from Winchester on the 31st, in charge 
of twenty-three hundred prisoners. The seven hundred 
of the enemy^s sick and wounded wdio were left in the 
town were paroled not to fight until exchanged. 

On reaching Strasburg, Jackson found that Fremont 
had already arrived on his right flank, for his troops had 
poured through the gap leading across North Mountain 
and were ready to fall upon him. Ewell was at once 
ordered to face about to the west and offer him battle, 
which he did ; but, after a skirmish in the mountain- 



THE RETREAT DOWN THE VALLEY. 159 

gorge, it was declined, and the Confederate retreat was 
continued steadily but leisurely up the Valley. Jackson 
knew that v^hields had been for two days at Front Royal, 
where he was east of the South Fork of the Shenandoah, 
and, to prevent his crossing the Massanutten Mountain 
by New Manvct Gap and falling upon his left flank 
while Fremont threatened his rear, he sent a detach- 
ment of cavalry to burn the bridges across the South 
Fork of the Shenandoah. This having been accom- 
plished, he continued his retreat with less anxiety, and 
its steady, orderly pace was a perpetual challenge to the 
tardy Fremont on his rear, but one which he dared not 
accept. The rear of Jackson's army left Strasburg on 
June 1. It was covered by the cavalry and Chew's 
light battery, under the command of the untiring 
Ashby, who had just received his commission as brig- 
adier-general. Fremont's cavalry followed the retreat- 
ing army, and under cover of the darkness drew so near 
at night that the men in the Confederate rear, hailing 
them, asked who they were. They replied, '^ Ashby's 
cavalry," and were thus allowed to draw closer, when 
they charged a cavalry regiment and threw it into dis- 
order. It was, however, re-formed, and, charging the 
enemy, repulsed them and took some prisoners. On 
the 2d of June the Confederate rear was again thrown 
into disorder by a cannonade from the enemy's guns, 
which were brought to bear upon them, followed by a 
charge of their cavalry. Ashby, seeing this, threw him- 
self from his horse, and, collecting a few riflemen who 
were lagging behind, stationed them in a wood beside 
the road, and as the enemy in their charge drew near 
he ordered them to fire, which they did with such un- 
erring aim that many riders fell from their saddles, and 



160 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

a part, turning their horses' heads, retreated in confu- 
sion, while those in advance, being carried forward into 
the Confederate rear, were all, with one exception, cap- 
tured or killed. That night, when this adventure was 
related to the general, one of the officers who had wit- 
nessed it remarking that the men had charged so gal- 
lantly he hated to kill them, Jackson said, quietly, ^'No; 
shoot them all ; I do not wish them to be brave/' It 
was by such occasional remarks that he betrayed the 
intensity of his feeling towards those who fought against 
the cause so dear to him and his countrymen. 

By the 3d of June the retreating army had safely 
crossed the North Fork of the Shenandoah. General 
Ashby w^as left to burn the bridge over which it had 
passed. This he successfully accomplished ; but so close 
were the enemy upon him that they were on the opposite 
bank before he could get out of their reach. His horse 
w^as shot dead under him, while he himself barely escaped 
the same fate. 

The rebuilding of this bridge by Fremont consumed 
a whole day, and thus the foot-sore Confederates could 
continue more leisurely their retreat, and without attack, 
to Harrisonburg. 

All during the retreat, while Fremont w^as pressing 
down on his rear, Jackson knew that east of the Massa- 
nutten Mountain Shields was pushing up the Luray Val- 
ley. The race was hot and close between them which 
should get up the Valley and be able to turn the south- 
ern extremity of the Massanutten Mountain first. If 
Shields arrived first, he would be able to turn round the 
base of the mountain, and, meeting Jackson, attack him 
on the front while Fremont fell upon his rear. Jack- 
son's soldiers knew of the trap that had been set for them, 



THE RETREAT DOWN THE VALLEY. 1(31 

and as they moved up the Yalley before crossing the 
road leading across from the Luray Yalley through New 
Market Gap, they watched with intense anxiety the sum- 
mit of the mountain at that point, expecting every mo- 
ment to see the road leading down from the gap dark- 
ened with the blue coats of the enemy moving upon 
their flank. The prisoners with whom the Confederate 
army was encumbered were exultant at the prospect of 
a speedy release, and tauntingly told their captors that 
the tables would soon be turned, and that Shields would 
be down upon them and bag Jackson's army. But the 
Confederates, confident in their leader's ability to save 
them from the lines with which the enemy was endeavor- 
ing to envelop them, replied defiantly, and urged them 
forward as they attempted to retard the retreat by lag- 
ging sullenly behind. 

A mile south of Harrisonburg, Jackson having reached 
the southern terminus of the Massanutten Mountain, 
and Shields not having yet appeared, he turned the 
head of his advancing column eastward on the road to 
Port Republic, a small village situated at the southern 
end of the Luray Valley, upon the South Fork of the 
Shenandoah, near the foot of the Blue Ridge. It was 
not until the 6th that Fremont's cavalry were again upon 
Jackson's rear. About two miles south of Harrison- 
burg It was overtaken by a regiment of their cavalry, 
led by Sir Percy Wyndham, an English adventurer, 
who, having joined the Federal army, had expressed a 
great desire to meet Ashby and overcome him In combat. 
In the sharp encounter which now took place between 
his regiment and Ashby's cavalry, the Federals were sig- 
nally repulsed, and among the prisoners captured was 
Sir Percy Wyndham himself. The sound of the firing 

14* 



162 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

in this engagement made General Ewell turn back to aid 
with reinforcements if necessary. The gallant Ash by 
told him he was sure the enemy would return in a short 
time to the attack, and asked for a small infantry force 
to aid in repelling them. General Ewell accordingly 
sent liim the 58th Virginia and the 1st Maryland Regi- 
ments. Ashby placed the Maryland regiment in a wood 
on the roadside, from which they were to fire upon the 
flank of the enemy as they approached, while at the 
head of the 58th Virginia he prepared to receive their 
attack in front. Elated by the chase after the enemy 
and by his late brilliant success, his countenance flushed 
with excitement, his eyes flashing fire, and the tones of 
his voice ringing out in unwonted clearness, Ashby had 
scarcely arranged his force to receive the Federals when 
they came in sight. They advanced across the open 
fields, and, sheltering themselves behind a fence, fired into 
the exposed ranks of the 58th Virginia. Ashby dashed 
to the front and ordered the regiment to advance and 
dislodge the enemy from their advantageous position. 
Scarcely had he given the order when his horse was shot 
and fell dead beneath him. Disentangling himself, he 
sprang to his feet, and, seeing the regiment falter, ex- 
claimed, as he waved his sword over his head, ^' Charge, 
men ! for God's sake, charge !'' The words had scarcely 
died on his lips when he fell dead, struck by a bullet 
which pierced his breast. His men, seeing him fall, 
rushed frantically forward and poured a galling fire into 
the enemy^s front, while the Marylanders rushed upon 
their flank. They broke and fled, — the Confederates 
firing upon them as long as they were within musket- 
ran ue. 

But Ashby was dead. His name alone was worth ten 



THE RETREAT DOWN THE VALLEY. 163 

thousand men to the Confederate cause in the Valley, 
so great was the dread with which he insp.red his foes, 
and the confidence his presence kindled in the breasts 
of his friends. No braver or more chivalrous knig.it 
ever drew sword in defense of a noble «u,se. His 
comrades in arms carried his body from the battle-field 
and as it was borne through the country which he had 
so nobly defended, the people flocked to see the face- 
now still in death-of him they called the savior of the 
Vallev Gentle women came to kiss his dead hands, and 
VOun<^ children were held up to gaze with love and awe 
upon the beautiful countenance of the hero whose simple 
Christian faith sheds such lustre on his heroic deeds. 

The sad and sorrowing little group of horsemen who 
carried the body of their gallant leader swept swiftly 
past the retreating army, and " Ashby is dead! wei-e the 
sad words which ran along the lines in the subdued tones 
in which men are wont to speak when in the presence of 
the mi-hty dead. To Port Republic his body was taken 
and there shrouded in his soldier's dress. To the heart 
of no one did the news of his fall carry a bitterer pang 
than to that of Jackson, for to no one were the virtiu^s 
of the man and the untiring energy and skil ot the 
soldier better known. On hearing of Ashby s death, 
and of his removal to Port Republic, he hastened to the 
house where the body lay, and, asking to see it, entered 
the room and shut himself up alone with it. There 
the young warrior lay, his slightly-built and graceful 
fi.n,re now stifl" in the rigidity of death, his flashing 
..^ay eyes closed forever, and his thick black hair and 
heavy raven beard looking darker than ever in the 
contrast with the pallor of death which overspread his 
noble countenance. Over this still figure bent the war- 



164 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

god of the Valley, ^yllo can tell what thoughts passed 
through his great soul, or what prayers ascended from 
his lips, as he paused thus on the eve of the brilliant 
close of the most daring and skillful manoeuvring to 
devote a few j)recious moments to silent communion 
with the dead? 

The news of the fall of her second son in defense of 
the cause so dear to every noble Southern heart quickly 
reached the home of Ashby^s widowed mother. AYIth 
a sickened heart and wearied longing she watched for 
the return home of his body ; but, the enemy being in 
possession of her county, even that boon was denied her, 
and his comrades bore it across the Blue Ridge to Albe- 
marle, where it found an appropriate resting-place in the 
grave-yard at the University of Virginia. From that 
spot it has since been removed to be placed beside that 
of the brave brother whoSe untimely death he avenged 
so well. The tomb of these two brothers — models, as 
they were, of all that is brave and knightly — is a monu- 
ment to be pointed out by their mother-State with pride 
and gratitude through all succeeding generations. 

After the skirmish in which Ashby was killed, the 
prisoners, and those of the wounded Confederates Avho 
could bear the march, were quickly carried forward, 
there being no time to lose, for the enemy were pressing 
steadily on. To those of the wounded who could not 
be moved. General Ewell was seen giving a few parting 
words of cheer, and supplying them from his own purse 
with money. 

The repulse given the enemy in this last fatal attack 
was so severe as to make them more cautious as to how 
they pressed too closely upon the rear of a retreating 
Confederate army. AVhen Ashby fell, the main body of 



THE RETREAT DOWN THE VALLEY. 1G5 

the army had reached Port Republic. This village is 
situated at the western base of the Blue Ridge, and lies 
in a triangle formed by the junction of the North and 
South Rivers, whose union forms the South Fork of 
the Shenandoah. On the eastern side of this stream, it 
will be remembered. Shields was marching up the Val- 
ley, while Fremont was dogging the steps of the retreat- 
ing army. In the triangle formed by the junction of 
the North and South Rivers, Jackson was safe from 
both his pursuers. The South River could be crossed 
by means of a passable ford, while a wooden bridge con- 
nected the village with the Harrisonburg road on the 
other side of the North River,— the deeper and larger 
of the two. At Conrad's Store, fifteen miles below Port 
Republic, there was a bridge over the Shenandoah by 
which Shields might have crossed the river and joined 
Fremont. Aware of its importance. Generals Shields 
and Jackson each sent a detachment of cavalry, the one 
to destroy and the other to hold it. The Federal cav- 
alry reached the bridge first, but, instead of remaining to 
guard it, dashed oif to capture some Confederate stores 
which they heard were near by and but poorly guarded. 
In the mean time, Jackson's cavalry came up and fired 
the bridge, so that when Shields arrived in sight of it at 
the head of his column it was a sheet of flame, and already 
too far gone to be saved. With this bridge vanished his 
last hope of joining Fremont. The game was now In 
Jackson's hands, and he made his arrangements to attack 
and defeat separately his two opponents. 

Shields was at Conrad's Store, some fifteen miles from 
Port Republic, while Fremont, with his army in the 
neighborhood of Harrisonburg, was at about the same 
distance. Thus Jackson was equidistant between the 



166 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

two. His plan was to attack Shields — who was on 
the opposite bank of the South E-iver — first, and then 
cross the North River and crush Fremont. On the 
north side of this river, and near the Harrisonburg 
road, he left General Ewell to guard against the ad- 
vance of Fremont. Jackson had his headquarters at 
Port Republic, and connection between him and Ewell 
was kept up by means of the bridge across North River. 
On the night of the 7th, a company of cavalry was sent 
down the Shenandoah to reconnoitre the position of 
Shields, who was reported to be advancing. Early the 
next day the Sabbath stillness of a lovely morning was 
broken by the noise and clatter of this company of Con- 
federate cavalry dashing pell-mell into the town with 
the Federal cavalry close upon their heels, accompanied 
by artillery. The Federals dashed across South River, 
and so unexpected was their arrival that General Jackson 
came near being captured, and just had time to gallop 
off towards the bridge and escape. Several Confederate 
officers were captured in this dash, and one w^ho could 
not get over the bridge collected a handful of stragglers 
and poured a volley into the Federal cavalry as they 
were dashing out of the village to capture Jackson's 
ordnance-train. This check gave the Confederates time 
to open upon them with two guns and increase their 
discomfiture. 

General Jackson, in the mean while, had dashed across 
the bridge and up the hill on which his troops were en- 
camped. He ordered the long roll to be beaten and the 
men to be under arms, and the batteries to take position 
on the hills which commanded the tow^n. Then, placing 
himself at the head of the 37th Virginia Regiment, he 
started back to the bridge, the possession of which was 



THE RETREAT DOWN THE VALLEY. 1^7 

of such vital importance to him, but which had now 
fallen into the hands of the enemy. He saw with dis- 
may that they had placed a gun at its farther end and 
w^re prepared to sweep it with their fire. Seeing that 
there was not a minute to be lost, he dashed down to the 
bridge at the head of the regiment, and there ordered 
them to fire upon the enemy at the other end of it, 
and then, rushing across, sweep them away with the 
bayonet. Their fire proved a murderous one, sweeping 
the threatening gun of its cannoneers. Then, with a 
yell, the gallant Virginians burst over the bridge, and it 
was theirs. Jackson had no sooner given the order to 
the regiment to fire than, throwing the reins upon his 
horse's neck, he raised his hands to heaven and prayed 
as he had never prayed before ; and never w^as prayer 
more gloriously answered. Other troops dashed over 
after the 37th Virginia, and, rushing upon the enemy, 
captured their gun and drove their cavalry through the 
town and across the village, while the batteries played 
upon them from the hills north of the North Eiver. 
The flying cavalry met a body of infantry coming up to 
their support, but the spirited fire from the batteries 
made them soon face about and follow in the tracks of 
their discomfited horse down the eastern bank of the 
Shenandoah. The light field-batteries of the Confed- 
erates dashed along the heights on the w'est rn side for 
about a mile, and poured shot and shell into their ranks 
until they disappeared in a wood round the bend of a road. 
In the mean time, the sound of Shields's guns roused 
Fremont to activity, and the enemy had scarcely been 
driven out of Port Republic before he was advancing 
upon Ewell's front, dow^n the Harrisonburg road. The 
Confederate picket on that road, the 15th Alabama, dis- 



168 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

puted tlieir advance so stubbornly that General Ewell 
had leisure to select his own position. This was well 
chosen, being on a commanding ridge, a rivulet and large 
open field in front, a wood on each flank, and the road 
leading to Port Republic passing through the centre of 
his line. The batteries were placed in the centre, and 
Trimble's brigade, which was destined to take the most 
active part in the fight, Avas on the right, just under the 
crest of the hill. At ten o'clock the enemy threw out 
his skirmishers, and, placing his batteries in position, 
began an animated and spirited fire, which lasted for 
several hours on both sides. Under cover of this 
fire a Federal brigade advanced on the Confederate 
right, when General Trimble, holding his men well in 
hand and making them reserve their fire until the enemy, 
reaching the crest of the hill, were in full musket-range, 
gave the order to fire. The volley Avas a withering one. 
The enemy staggered, and fell back in confusion. The 
order to charge with the bayonet was immediately given 
to the Confederates, who, advancing with a shout and a 
bound, drove the yielding enemy down the hill and across 
Ibhe open meadow into the woods opposite. Then, per- 
ceiving a battery about to be placed in position on the 
enemy's left. General Trimble pushed forward to capture 
it; but it was withdrawn before he reached the spot. 
The enemy did not renew the attack, and later in the 
day Ewell advanced, driving in the Federal skirmishers, 
and that night his troops slept on their arms on ground 
which had been held by the enemy in the morning. So 
ended the battle of Cross Keys, a fight in which the 
enemy's movements were so timid that General Ewell 
remarked that he felt all day as if he were fighting the 
feeble, semi-civilized armies of Mexico. 



THE RETREAT DOWN THE VALLEY. 169 

The Confederates had only six thousand men on the 
field in this fight, and only thirty-five hundred actually 
engaged. Their losses were forty-two killed and two 
hundred and thirty-one wounded. 

Having thus severely chastised Fremont, General 
Jackson turned quickly to Shields. The echoes of the 
guns of Cross Keys had scarcely died away on the 
mountain-sides when Jackson, under cover of the night, 
began to make a foot-bridge over the South River, by 
which he could pass his infantry across and go in search 
of Shields. The bridge was formed by driving wagons 
into the stream until a line across was completed, and 
on these planks were placed. Unfortunately, however, 
just in the middle of the stream there was some bad 
arrangement of the planks leading from one wagon to 
another, and only one j)lank was found firm enough to 
serve as a bridge, so that the whole army at that point 
had to go over in single file, instead of two or three 
abreast. This caused serious delay in the passage of the 
whole force. 

It was no part of Jackson^s plan to allow Fremont to 
escape Avith only the defeat at Cross Keys. He intended 
to attack and defeat Shields early enough in the day to 
enable him to turn back on Fremont and crush him. 
In giving his orders to Colonel Patton, commanding the 
Second Virginia Brigade, and who was to conceal EwelFs 
withdrawal from Fremont's front while he joined in at- 
tacking Shields, he told him to hold his position as long 
as possible, and concluded by saying, " I will be back 
to join you in the morning.'^ This was spoken at two 
o'clock in the morning of the 9th, while he was busy 
making the necessary arrangements for the battle with 
Shields. When Colonel Patton asked how long he would 
H 15 



170 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

be expected to hold Fremont at bay, lie re])lied, " By the 
blessing of Providenee, I liope to be back by ten o'clock/^ 

General Ewell was ordered to move at an early hour 
on the morning of the 9th, and cross the bridge leading 
to Port Kepublie, Avhile the troops left to confront 
Fremont Avere ordered, if hard pressed by him, to retire 
across the North River and burn the bridge in their 
rear. All things were now in readiness for the advance, 
and by five o'clock in the morning of the 9th the Stone- 
wall Brigade had crossed the South River; but the un- 
fortunate defect in the hastily-constructed foot-bridge so 
delayed the crossing of the oth.er troops that the hour 
at v/hicli Jackson had hoped to whip Shields and be 
ready lor a second brush with Fremont passed by before 
all the troops had crossed South River. By ten o'clock 
the last of the Confederate forces had crossed North 
River, and the bridge was burnt, thus leaving Fremont 
a helpless spectator of the coming fight. 

In the mean time, the Stonewall Brigade, commanded 
by the knightly Winder, had advanced far on its way 
to attack the enemy. The latter was judiciously posted 
near Lewiston, a mile or two down the Shenandoah, his 
right resting upon the river, his left upon a thick wood, 
while the inclosures and buildings of Lewiston sheltered 
his centre. Near the edge of the wood, on his left, on 
a rising ground near the Lewis house, he had planted a 
battery of six guns, which commanded the level field 
extending in front and the road to Port Republic. 

Against this formidable position General Jackson led 
the Stonewall Bri2;ade and the gallant Louisiana Brio^ade, 
under General Taylor. The Confederate batteries directed 
their fire against those of the Federals, but with little 
effect. "Winder, being reinforced by a Louisiana regi- 



THE RETREAT DOWN THE VALLEY. 171 

ment, determined to charge the enemy and capture his 
battery, as the only means of silencing it ; but as his gal- 
lant brigade swept across the field fronting the batteries, 
they were met by such a furious fire from both artillery 
and small arms that they Avere thrown into confusion 
and fell back in disorder. The enemy, seeing this, dashed 
forward with their infantry, and pushed the Confederate 
infantry so far back that their artillery had to retire. 
At this critical juncture, General Taylor, who had moved 
to the right along the mountain acclivity, through a 
rough and tangled forest, emerged from the woods on the 
enemy's left. With loud cheers his brigade dashed for- 
ward to seize the battery, and, though the enemy in vastly 
superior numbers attacked them in front and flank, they 
captured it. 

This diversion made by Taylor enabled Winder to 
reorganize his scattered force, while the Confederate 
batteries were again placed in position. The Confed- 
erate line being thus re-formed, they advanced and 
drove the Federals steadily back to their original posi- 
tion. But the struggle over the battery captured by 
Taylor w\as long and fierce. A fresh Federal brigade 
advanced under cover of a wood and fell upon his flank, 
wdiile a galling fire of canister was poured into his ranks 
from a piece placed in position at a distance of three or 
four hundred yards. Under this fiery tempest the gal- 
lant Louisianians had to abandon the battery and fall 
back to the edge of the wood near which it was stationed. 
Two of General Ewell's regiments novv' coming up to 
their aid, the attack was again renewed. Never was 
there a severer contest than over this battery. T^vice 
the enemy lost it, and twice ^re-took it; but when it was 
captured for the third time by the undaunted Confeder- 



172 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

ates, the enemy began to witlidraw. Fresli troops coming 
up to the Confederates, they made a general advance 
and swept tlie Federals from tlie field. The cavalry now 
dashed forward and converted their retreat into a dis- 
orderly flight. 

The Confederates continued the pursuit for eight miles, 
and returned with several hundred prisoners. The losses 
of the Confederates in this battle were ninety-one killed 
and six hundred and eighty-six wounded. As the gal- 
lant little army assembled its shattered ranks after the 
fight and marched off the field of battle towards the 
mouth of Brown's Gap, they beheld, on the heights on 
the opposite bank of the river, Fremont, who, in conse- 
quence of the burning of the bridge, could now only 
watch as an idle spectator the flight of the Federals 
and the triumphant march of the Confederates from the 
field which their courage had avou. 

Enraged at being outgeneraled and forced thus to 
witness the defeat of his friends, General Fremont was 
guilty of an act of barbarity as outrageous as any that 
ever disgraced the records of civil warfare. Many of 
the wounded had been borne from the battle-field and 
placed in a house, over which the yelloAV flag was floating, 
as a sio:nal to friend and foe that for the time beins; the 
building was a hospital. There the surgeons w^ere busily 
engaged binding up broken limbs and staunching the 
ghastly wounds of the gallant soldiers, while the chap- 
lains were soothing the last moments of the dying. On 
this hospital General Fremont directed his guns to be 
turned, and poured upon it such a heavy fire that those 
of the wounded who could move fled in dismay from 
their cots, while others more disabled had to stay and 
undergo the terrible ordeal of lying helpless under fire. 



THE RETREAT DOWN THE VALLEY. I73 

To add to the suffering caused by this cruel act, those 
who were thus driven from shelter were exposed to a 
cold rain which was just beginning to fall. Not only 
the house, but the field in which many wounded were 
still lying, was cannonaded, and many a poor fellow 
who had escaped with his life from the storm and tem- 
pest of the morning's battle was thus murdered ere the 
close of the day. 

The day after the battle of Port Eepublic, General 
Fremont withdrew his forces and retreated down the 
Valley. The Confederate cavalry, under Colonel Mun- 
ford, entered Harrisonburg on the 12th, where they cap- 
tured about two hundred of the enemy's sick and wounded, 
besides medical stores, wagons, camp-equipage, and two 
hundred small arms. The prisoners captured here and 
at Port Kepublic numbered nine hundred and seventy- 
five, the small arms about one thousand, and the artillery 
seven pieces. 

From the hard - contested but gloriously -won field 
of Port Republic Jackson led his gallant troops into 
Brown's Gap, where they bivouacked for two days. Early 
in the morning of the 12th they were led down to the 
pleasant green meadows on the banks of the Shenandoah, 
where they rested for five days under bright skies and 
safe from the fear of any approaching foe. On Satur- 
day, the 14th, divine service was held in the army, to 
render thanks to the God of battles for the brilliant suc- 
cess with which He had crowned their arms. The ser- 
vices were held in a w^ood, overarched by serene skies, 
and the sound of hymns of praise and thanksgiving rose 
from amidst mountains on whose sides the echoes of the 
clash of arms and the cries of battle had scarcely died 
away. The services were rendered more solemn by the 



174 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

administration of the holy communion. Among those 
Avho on tliis occasion received the sacrament with the 
lowly humility of a child was the chief of the little 
army assembled around him^ — he who so lately had 
fallen like a thunderbolt upon one foe after another, 
crushing all who crossed his Avar-path. 

The jaded troops were now encamped in grassy fields 
on the beautiful banks of the Shenandoah, near AVeyer's 
Cave. During this short period of sweet repose from 
the din of arms. General Jackson wrote to Mrs. Jackson : 

" Near Weyer's Cave, June 14. 
" Our God has throAvn his shield over me in the 
various apparent dangers to which I have been exposed. 
This evening we have religious services in the army, for 
the purpose of rendering thanks to the Most High for 
the victories with which He has crowned our arms ; and 
my earnest prayer is that our ever-kind heavenly Father 
will continue to crown our arms with success until our 
independence shall, through his divine blessing, be es- 
tablished.'' 

While Jackson's army was on one occasion resting 
after one of his forced marches, two sentinels who Avere 
on duty in a steady fall of rain were complaining of the 
hardships of a soldier's life, when one of them exclaimed, 
" I wish the Yankees were all in h— 1 !" " I do not," 
said the other, quietly. " Why not ?" asked his com- 
panion, impatiently. " Because, if they were, * old Jack' 
would have his pickets at the gates before breakfast to- 
morrow morning," was the reply. 



CHAPTER XL 

BATTLES AEOUND RICHMOND. 

Before we again take up the line of march with 
General Jackson's little army, which we left reposing 
amid the peaceful meadows and green pastures of the 
Shenandoah Valley, it will be necessary to glance at the 
operations of the two contending armies in the neighbor- 
hood of Kichmond. 

General Johnston had succeeded in transferring his 
army safely from Manassas to the peninsula between the 
York and James Rivers, and was early in April con- 
fronting McClellan. With his greatly inferior force he 
was compelled to fall back before the advances of the 
able Federal commander, but not without contesting his 
approach. On the 5th of May took place the battle 
of AYilliamsburg, in which the Confederates were be- 
lieved to have inflicted heavy losses upon the Federals. 
This check was not sufficient, however, to delay their 
advance long, and the inhabitants of Richmond saw the 
theatre of war transferred to the very gates of their city. 

On all the approaches to the city the Confederates fell 
back before the steady advance of the Federals, who, 
having now perfected their plans and arrangements, 
seemed to have everything in their own grasp ; and in- 
deed the Confederates appeared everywhere to be yield- 
ing to their onward move. On the 11th of May, the 
Virginia, which by her exploits in the mouth of the 

175 



176 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

James liad been rendered so famous, was run ashore In 
the vicinity of Craney Island and fired. After burning 
fiercely for upwards of an hour, she blew up before five 
o'clock in the morning. The destruction of this vessel 
left the river open to the Federal gunboats as far up as 
Drewry's Bluff, a few miles below Kichmond, where 
the Confederates had powerful batteries commanding 
the river. The Federals were not long in feeling their 
way up the stream. Their gunboats appeared in sight 
on the 15th of May, but the batteries at Drewry's Bluff 
prevented their passage up the river, and so signally 
repulsed them that they had to drop down the stream. 

But, in spite of this repulse, McClellan at once saw 
that the proi)er approach for attack on Richmond would 
be by the James, now that the destruction of the Vir- 
ginia had opened that river to the ascent of Federal 
vessels and transports. To this idea he clung, and was 
only prevented from changing his base at an early day 
by the promise held out to him by Mr. Lincoln that 
McDowell would be sent from Fredericksburg to join 
him. This general and his fine corps were within sixty 
miles of INIcClellan's right when that was established 
on the north bank of the Chickahominy. Deluded by 
the hope of soon joining hands with this able lieutenant, 
the young commander-in-chief left this part of the army 
on this side of that stream, and delayed taking the in- 
itiatory steps for his change of base longer than he would 
have done but for the false promises held out to him. 

Johnston, in the mean time, continuing to fall back 
before the Federal advances, finally settled down with 
his army between Richmond and the Chickahominy. 
As the Federals began to cross that stream, however, he 
watched his chances to give them battle, and was not 



BATTLES AROUND RICHMOND. 177 

long in finding one. Having learned that General Keyes 
of the Federal army was encamped with his corps on 
the Richmond side of the Chickahominy, he determined 
to attack him, and did so, on May 31, with the divisions 
of Major-Generals Longstreet, D. H.PIill, and G. W. 
Smith. Major-General Huger was to have assisted in 
this attack, but his division failed to get into position. 
The Confederate advance was begun at two o'clock in 
the afternoon, and by three the fighting was hot and 
fierce. "The principal attack was made by Major- 
General Longstreet, with his own and Major-General 
D. H. Hill's division, — the latter mostly in advance. 
Hill's brave troops, admirably commanded and most 
gallantly led, forced their way through the abatis which 
formed the enemy's external defenses and stormed their 
intrenchments by a determined and irresistible rush. 
Such was the manner in which the enemy's first line Avas 
carried. The operation was repeated with the same gal- 
lantry and success as our troops pursued their victorious 
career through the enemy's successive camps and in- 
trenchments. At each new position they encountered 
fresh troops belonging to it and reinforcements brought 
on from the rear. Thus they had to repel repeated 
efforts to retake works which they had carried. But 
their advance was never successfully resisted. 

"Their onward movement was only stayed by the 
coming of night. By nightfall they had forced their 
way to the ^ Seven Pines,' having driven the enemy 
back more than two miles through their own camps, 
and from a series of intrenchments, and repelled every 
attempt to recapture them with great slaughter."* 

^ Jcjhnston's Report. 



178 J^-JFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

The next morning, June 1, tlie Federals were found 
too strongly intrenched for the attack to be renewed, 
and, after gathering up all the arms, the Confederates 
returned that evening to their camps. 

In this battle the Confederates captured ten pieces of 
artillery, six thousand muskets, one garrison flag, and 
four regimental colors. Their own losses in killed and 
wounded were over four thousand, while the Federal 
losses were estimated by their own papers at more than 
ten thousand. 

The great valor displayed by the Confederates in this 
battle called forth the applause of the whole South. 
General Johnston, having received a serious Avound in 
the battle, was unable to resume command of the armies 
around Richmond, and his post was filled by General 
Lee. 

General McClellan's forces were extended from the 
James Kiver on the south to Mechanicsville and its 
neighborhood on the north. His lines were pierced by 
the Chickahominy, so that his army lay on both sides 
of that stream, and he drew his supplies from a point 
on the York River, with which he was connected by the 
Richmond and York River Railroad. In order to ascer- 
tain the exact positions of the enemy, General Lee or- 
dered General J. E. B. Stuart — called from his initials 
" Jeb Stuart" — to make a raid in the rear of the enemy 
and find out how his troops were stationed. This dash- 
ing officer set out at the head of a fine cavalry force, 
numbering twelve hundred men, with a section of light 
field-artillery, to make the required reconnoissance. He 
started out from a point north of Richmond, and, riding 
round the rear of the whole Federal army, re-entered 
the city by the road running along the James, having 



BATTLES AROUND RICHMOND. 179 

made a com])lete circuit of the enemy's lines. His march 
extended as far to tlieir rear as the White House, where 
his men fired three transports lying in the Pamunkey, 
and destroyed other Federal property and stores. When 
they reached the Chickahominy on their way back, they 
found the bridge by which it was to be crossed de- 
stroyed. This made their position most perilous, and 
it was a life-and-death matter to restore the bridge as 
speedily as possible, for its destruction told too surely 
that the enemy were on their track and laying toils with 
which to entrap them. With the enthusiastic energy of 
men who felt that but one more effort had to be made 
to secure success, they fell to work, and in a short time 
the bridge was up, and soon a cloud of dust marked the 
disappearance from sight of the troop as it clattered 
along. The success of this brilliant exploit was now 
secured, and General Stuart left his command and pushed 
forward to report in person to the commander-in-chief 
the brilliant result of his expedition. In a few days 
the whole country was resounding with the news of this 
daring feat, friend and foe alike awarding praise to the 
skillful leader and the brave men under his command. 
History, indeed, shows few exploits which can equal this, 
and Stuart and his troopers w^ill live in its pages as bold 
and dashing soldiers. 

Among the many interesting incidents occurring on 
this expedition was the death and burial of Captain 
Latane. A body of the enemy being encountered near 
Hanover Court-House, a squadron of the 9th Virginia 
cavalry, commanded by young Latane, was ordered to 
charge them, which they did in gallant style. Down 
the road they dashed, the brave Latane ten paces ahead. 
" Cut and thrust !" shouted the Federal commander, as 



180 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

he led bis troops boldly up. ^^On to them, boys!" 
yelled Lataiie, and the meeting squadrons rushed together 
in full shock. The front men of each column were 
unhorsed, and the fight became instantly hot and bloody. 
Captain Latane singled out the Federal commander, 
aimed a blow at his head, and cut oft* his hat close to his 
head, but the Federal, dodging the cut, rode past, and 
as he did so discharged his revolver at Latane, Avho fell 
dead from his saddle. The enemy soon broke and scat- 
tered, when a private, dashing after the Federal com- 
mander, clove his skull in twain. This short but fierce 
and sanguinary fight being over, the victorious Confed- 
erates dashed on in their exciting ride through the 
enemy's lines. The body of their gallant comrade 
in arms was left behind. It was carried to the house 
of Mrs. Brockenbrough, where preparations were made 
for its burial, but a Federal ofticer coming up ordered 
the minister not to read the funeral service over the 
dead soldier. Feeling deeply the insult thus intended 
for her dead countryman, Mrs. Brockenbrough herself 
presided over the touching scene of his burial, and 
in clear, soft tones read the beautiful words of the Epis- 
copal service for the burial of the dead. This scene — 
the dead soldier Ivins: before the calm Viro;inia matron, 
the sorrowing group around, consisting of the old and 
young members of the family, from the little girl with 
flowers for the young officer's body to the faithful slave 
who had dug his grave, the whole illumined by the 
last rays of the setting sun — has been the subject of 
a picture to be found in many a Southern home and 
cottage, and wdiich has made this touching incident one 
of the most familiar of the war. 

It was General Lee's intention to make no move against 



BATTLES AROUND RICHMOND. Igl 

McCIellaii until reinforced by Jackson, yet he knew that 
if the Federal commander discovered that Jackson Avas 
marching to Richmond, the authorities in Washington 
could no longer refuse his oft-repeated request to have 
McDowell — who was lying idle before Fredericksburg 
— sent to him. With this heavy reinforcement to the 
Federals, the odds against the Confederates would be as 
great after Jackson's arrival as they had been before. In 
order, therefore, to blind the Federals as to his real move- 
ments, he sent to Staunton by Lynchburg and Charlottes- 
ville seven thousand men, consisting of Hood's, Lawton's, 
and Whiting's brigades, to make the Federals believe that 
these reinforcements were sent to Jackson to enable him 
to sweep once more down the Valley. This movement 
had the desired effect, for when McClellan next applied 
for McDowell's forces. President Lincoln replied that 
they could not now be needed by him, since Lee's army 
had been so much weakened by the reinforcements which 
he had just sent Jackson. 

This last officer seconded General Lee's efforts by de- 
ceiving the enemy in the Valley as to his movements. 
He ordered Colonel Munford, who, as we have seen, had 
advanced to Harrisonburg, to arrest all persons going up 
and down the Valley, and to press so closely upon Fre- 
mont's outposts as to make him believe that the whole 
Confederate army was close at hand. Colonel Munford 
in moving forward met a flag of truce twelve miles north 
of Harrisonburg, brought by a major, accompanied by 
a number of surgeons and ambulances, to take back the 
Federal wounded, whose release they demanded. Colonel 
Munford, sto})ping this long train at his outposts, re- 
turned to Harrisonburg, accompanied by the major and 
surgeon, who enjoyed his hospitality until he could get 

16 



182 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

General Jackson's reply to their demand. In tlie mean 
time, tlie general havinij^ sent him word to do all he 
could to make the Federals believe he was returning 
down the Valley, he communicated this message to one 
of his troopers, and told him to slip out of the village 
and return as a pretended bearer of dispatches from 
Jackson. The two Federal officers were very boastful, 
and tauntingly told their host that Fremont and Shields 
Avould soon unite and come back to sweep Jackson from 
the Valley ; but they were soon to have their pride 
lowered. The trooper returned in a short time disguised 
as an orderly, and Colonel Munford received him pur- 
posely in a room adjoining one in which the Federal 
officers were. " What answer do you bring, orderly, 
from General Jackson ?" he said, in a loud voice. " Why, 
the general laughed at the demand for the surrender 
of the wounded prisoners,'^ was the reply ; " he has no 
notion of it." " Do you bring any good news ?" asked 
Colonel Munford. " Glorious news !" he answered ; " the 
road from Staunton this way is chock-full of soldiers, 
cannon, and Avagons come to reinforce Jackson in his 
march down the Valley. There is General Whiting, 
General Hood, General Lawton, and General I don't 
know who. I never saw so many soldiers and cannon 
together in my life. People say there are thirty thou- 
sand of them." 

Colonel Munford, after listening to this, went out to 
relate it to the citizens, in order to deceive more surely 
the Federal officers. The town was thrown into a de- 
lirium of joy by this news, and when the colonel dis- 
missed the two officers with a refusal of their demand, 
they returned rather dejected. Colonel INIunford pushed 
after them with his advance as far as New IMarket, and 



BATTLES AROUND RICHMOND. 183 

as soon as they reached their own cam]:> General Fremont 
withdrew immediately to Strasburg, where he began to 
fortify his position. 

General Jackson, having taken these prompt measures 
to deceive the enemy as to his real movements, was now 
ready to act on General Lee^s orders, which were to move 
quickly, and without letting any one know where he Avas 
going, across the Blue Ridge and down to Kichmond. 
So strict was he in keeping secret this move that he did 
not reveal it even to General Ewell, his second in com- 
mand, wdio was simply directed to move to Charlottes- 
ville, while the rest were ordered to follow him. They 
began to move on the 17th of June, and in two days' 
march arrived in the neighborhood of Charlottesville. 
The men, elated by the brilliant success of their late 
campaign, stepped out to begin this march with the 
alacrity of soldiers who are sure of being led to victory 
by a beloved chief, and their march through the country 
was a perfect ovation. Their grateful countrymen, 
anxious to see the men who had achieved such prodigies 
of valor, and anxious, too, to show their appreciation of 
their brilliant achievements, thronged the line of their 
march. This uprising of the country increased the en- 
thusiasm of the troops, and as they moved swiftly along 
they answered with cheers the blessings invoked upon 
them by old men and old women, while from the hill- 
tops the white arms of maidens waved them on to deeds 
of greater valor and scenes of more fearful contest than 
any they had yet witnessed. 

" Where are you going ?" was the oft-repeated ques- 
tion of the citizens to these travel-stained and foot-sore 
soldiers. " We don't know, but old Jack does," was the 
cheery reply, as regiment after regiment disappeared from 



184 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

the sight of the admiring eyes of their countrymen. Tlie 
scenes witnessed on tliis march, the enthusiasm of the 
troops, the outbursts of patriotism of tlie citizens, and 
the rush of the inhabitants of all ages and each sex to 
the highways to sec and to cheer the troops as they passed 
by, every heart filled with patriotic devotion, every face 
radiant with hope for the future and with the pride of 
success in the past, and every thought directed to the 
great events the certainty of whose near approach per- 
vaded all ranks, the effect of the whole heightened by 
the loveliness of the landscape and the surpassing beauty 
of the country through which they moved, — these scenes 
will form a brilliant page in the history of this civil 
war, and the historian will have no more enthusiastic 
or joyous march to describe than that of this little 
band from the mountains to the sea. 

After a day's delay at Gordonsville, caused by a rumor 
of the approach of Shields, Jackson arrived on June 
22 at Frederickshall, a point fifty miles from Rich- 
mond. Here the army halted to rest. At Charlottes- 
ville, under the strictest injunction of secrecy, Jackson 
had confided to his chief of staff the destination of his 
command. An advance-guard of cavalry preceded the 
army to forbid all persons from going before it to Rich- 
mond. Thus the appearance of the van-guard of the 
army was the first notice the people of the country 
through which it passed had of its approach. 

After a day's rest, General Jackson rose at one o'clock 
in the morning of June 23, and started with a courier 
to ride express to Richmond, to have a private interview 
with General Lee. He wished to keep this visit to Rich- 
mond a profound secret, and few knew of his departure. 
When he reached his outposts, the guard, not recognizing 



BATTLES AROUND RICHMOND. 135 

lilm, refused positively to let him pass. The general, 
eager to push forward, but anxious not to make himself 
known, tried to pass first as an officer on military business, 
and then as one bearing important intelligence to Gen- 
eral Lee; but the faithful guard refused, saying his orders 
were that he should allow neither officers nor citizens to 
go through the lines. After some persuasion, he finally 
agreed to send for the captain of the guard and let him 
decide the question. When this officer came up, he recog- 
nized the general, and at once let him pass ; but Jack- 
son did not go on without praising the faithful guard 
with great warmth for his strict obedience of orders. 
After meeting General Lee and receiving from him a 
full explanation of his plan of battle, Jackson returned 
the next day to his command, with which he arrived 
safely at Ashland, twelve miles from Richmond, on the 
evening of the 25th of June. 

Thus silently, swiftly, and secretly this little army 
swept down from the mountains to the plains of Eich- 
mond, to join there in the fierce contests which were to 
rage at the very gates of that devoted city. Through 
the information gained by Stuart in his rapid raid round 
McClellan's camp. General Lee learned the exact position 
of his forces, and speedily perfected his plans for driving 
them from their intrench ments. To understand this plan, 
the reader must have an idea of the direction in which 
the Chickahominy flows, and also of the roads entering 
the city. 

The Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad starts from 
Richmond on the western side of the city, the Central 
Railroad from the northern, and the York River Rail- 
road from the eastern. The first of these roads bends 
towards the north and northeast and crosses the Central 

IG* 



186 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

Eailroad at Hanover Junction, twenty-five miles from 
Riclimond. The Cliickaliominy rises west of the Fred- 
ericksburg Railroad, and flows in an easterly direction. 
It is crossed successively by the Meadow Bridge road 
and the Mechanicsville road, and farther down still by 
Grapevine Bridge. A short distance below this bridge 
it turns more to the south, and crosses the line of the 
York River Railroad. It continues for a few miles to 
flow in a southerly direction, and south of the railroad is 
crossed first by Bottom's Bridge and then by Long Bridge, 
just above which latter point it bends back towards the 
east, and, flowing sluggishly along in that direction, 
empties into the James many miles lower down. The 
country immediately on the course of this river is more 
or less swampy, but this is particularly the case between 
Mechanicsville and Long Bridge, which was destined to 
be the theatre of the struggle between the two contend- 
ing armies. 

McClellau had the right Aving of his army resting on 
the north side of the Cliickaliominy and the left on the 
south side; several bridges and causeways erected by 
him connected the two. His whole front was strongly 
fortified by intrenchments, heavy guns, and abatis. The 
approaches to his front were further impeded by felled 
trees, so that an attack on him in that direction would 
have resulted in a useless and cruel loss of life for the 
Confederates, with little hope of success. To avoid this, 
General Lee conceived the brilliant plan of crossing the 
Cliickaliominy high up, and, after turning McClellan's 
left, sweep down the north side of that stream, clearing 
it of the Federal forces until he reached the point where 
the stream bends more to the south, when, still keeping 
along its northern, or rather at that point its eastern, 



BATTLES A ROUS D RICHMOND. 187 

bank, he would seize all the bridges in McClellan's rear, 
and thus cut off his retreat down the peninsula, while 
Huger and Magruder, who confronted his left wing, were 
to push down and attack his flanks should he attempt 
to escape to the James, and thus effect the capture of 
his whole command. 

Everything being in readiness to carry this great plan 
into execution, the commander-in-chief issued his gen- 
eral order, giving a clear but short and simple statement 
of what he wished iha different leaders and divisions of 
his army to accomplish. The reader will remember that 
the Meadow Bridge road crossed the Chickahominy high 
up the stream, and that then came the Mechanics ville 
road. The extreme left of ihQ Confederate army was 
held by General Branch, of A. P. Hill's division, which 
was stationed south of the Chickahominy, within a few 
miles of Ashland, where, as we hate already seen, Jack- 
son arrived on the evening of June 25. 

In his general order, General Lee directed the move- 
ments of the army as follows. Jackson was to move 
forward from Ashland on the 25th and encamp for the 
night at some point west of the Central Railroad. At 
three o'clock on Thursday morning, the 26th, he was to 
resume his line of march across the Central Railroad, 
and in a line bearing to the left of Mechanicsville. He 
was to communicate his march to General Branch, who 
would immediately cross the Chickahominy and move 
down the road leading to Mechanicsville. As soon as 
General A. P. Hill heard that these two columns were 
in motion, he was to cross the Chickahominy with the 
rest of his division and march directly upon Mechanics- 
ville. As he approached that point, the heavy Confed- 
erate batteries on the Chickahominy were to open upon 



188 J^'^FE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

it to aid bis advance. The Federals being driven from 
Meehaniesvillc, and tbe passage acrOvSS tbc bridge there 
being thus opened, Generals Longstreet and D. H. 
Hill, the heads of wliose columns Avere to be in readi- 
ness at that point, would cross the stream and push for- 
ward, Longstreet to support General A. P. Hill, and 
D. H. Hill to support Jackson, — the four divisions to 
keep in communication with one another. General Jack- 
son bearing well to the left, turning Beaver Dam Creek, 
which flowed into the Chickahominy below r.^echanics- 
ville, and then to march towards Cold Harbor. They 
were to press forward towards York Kiver Railroad, 
closing upon the enemy's rear and forcing him down the 
Chickahominy. 

The divisions under Generals Huger and Magruder, 
on the Confederate right, were to confront the Federals 
there and hold their positions against attack. General 
Jackson's left was covered by General Stuart and his 
cavalry. 

AVhile these plans were being rapidly developed, and 
the orders for their execution issued at the Confederate 
headquarters, was McClellan ignorant of the toils that 
were spreading for him ? Not entirely ; for on the morn- 
ing of the 24th a deserter informed him that Jackson 
had left Gordonsville and was advancing to attack him. 
Thinking it impossible that he should have escaped 
through the seventy thousand men who, under pretense 
of capturing him, had been withheld from his own army, 
McClellan could not give this report full credence. But 
the next day, in the hot engagement at Oak Grove, he 
learned that the cavalry, which he knew was only clear- 
ing Jackson's way before him, had arrived at Hanover 
Court-House. The meaning of the Confederate move- 



BATTLES AROUND RICHMOND. 189 

ments now became cnly too apparent to him, and at this 
supreme moment, in preparation for which he had toiled 
so many months in perfecting the discipline and organi- 
zation of his fine army, he found himself still deprived 
of the portion of his forces which he deemed necessary 
for his success. This moment was one of great bitterness 
to him, recognizing, as he did, the fact that his defeat 
was certain. 

He had to suffer what so many other generals have 
had to suffer when there has been a weak or timid civil 
power above them, able with a single stroke of the pen 
to destroy all the hopes of a whole cam])aign. It must 
be acknowledged that he met the trial Avith the manly 
resignation of a brave soldier and true patriot. Seeing 
now that instead of conquering there was left to him only 
the humbler task of withdrawing his army safely from 
the toils which had 1 een spread for it, he set himself to 
work with skillful celerity to accomplish this. Clinging 
to his fond hope of changing his base to the James, al- 
ready the initiatory steps for that move had been taken, 
and the combat at Oak Grove was but to beat up the 
Confederate forces and see how the chano;e could be best 
effected. Orders were given on the night of the 25th, 
and with astounding audacity he cut himself off from his 
base of supplies on the York and provisioned his army 
for its march across to the James. All that it could 
need was supplied, herds of cattle being in readiness 
to accompany the army on its line of march, and vessels 
with supplies ordered to the mouth of the James. 

The night of the 25th General Jackson devoted to 
prayer and to contemplation of the work before him. 
Laboring under a deep sense of the responsibilities rest- 
ing on him, feeling how much hung upon the success 



190 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

of the coming struggle, and yet knowing too well how 
many accidents might occur, any one of which would 
thwart the execution of the plan of attack adopted 
by General Lee, the thought of sleep did not enter his 
mind. To one general officer after another he gave the 
necessary directions for their early advance in the morn- 
ing, and QWGYy moment of solitude was devoted by him 
to prayer. 

An hour or two after midnight, while he was alone 
and pacing his room anxiously, two of his generals came 
to propose to him to move his army in two columns and 
by two different roads instead of by one. He listened 
to them calmly, and told them he would decide by the 
morning. Tlie two officers left, and when they were 
alone one said to the other, '' Do you know why General 
Jackson would not decide upon our suggestion at once? 
It was because he has to pray over it before he makes up 
his mind." The next minute, the other officer, finding 
that he had left his sword in General Jackson's room, 
returned to get it, and when he entered found his great 
leader upon his knees, engaged in prayer. 

Jackson, as we have seen, was to have begun his march 
by three o'clock in the morning ; and he made every 
effort to start at the appointed hour ; but in vain. The 
sun had risen before the march began, and, with its early 
rays shining full in their faces, the men moved quickly 
forward. At each cross-road which they reached was 
a detachment of Stuart's cavalry, which silently swung 
into line on their left and moved on, until at last Stuart's 
whole command covered Jackson's left. At four o'clock 
in the afternoon Jackson's command had reached the 
neighborhood of Pole-Green Church, which stands on a 
line with Mechanicsville, a few miles to the north of it. 



BATTLES AROUND RICHMOND. 191 

General A. P. Hill had already been in position before 
the enemy's works at this last place for several hours, 
and was only waiting the sound of General Jackson's 
guns on the north to make the attack. This welcome 
sound now reached his ears, as Jackson had the woods in 
front of him shelled in order to drive out McClellan's 
pickets, and to enable the Confederates to repair the 
bridge across the Tottopottamoy Creek, which lay in 
front of them. 

At the sound of the longed-for firing, General A. P. 
Hill dashed forward, and soon carried the Federal Avorks 
and swept the enemy from the little village and down 
the Chickahominy across Beaver Dam Creek, where they 
went into their strong intrenchments on its eastern bank. 
The Confederates, impatient to drive them from this 
position, would not wait until General Jackson's advance 
could turn their flank and force them to retreat, but 
attacked them that evening on their left. After severe 
fighting, however, not being able to dislodge the Fed- 
erals, the firing ceased, and the Confederates slept that 
night on their arms. 

Expecting Jackson to arrive on the enemy's right and 
turn it, at early dawn on the morning of the 27th A. 
P. Hill renewed the attack, and it was sustained with 
great animation for two hours, when, Jackson having 
crossed Beaver Dam above, the Federals abandoned their 
intrenchments and retired rapidly down the river, de- 
stroying a great deal of property, but leaving much in 
their deserted camps. The bridges over Beaver Dam 
being repaired, the Confederates moved quickly forward, 
A. P. Hill and Longstreet keeping near the Chicka- 
hominy, and Jackson and D. H. Hill still bearing to 
the left. 



192 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

Longstreet and Hill reached the neighborhood of 
Kew Bridge about noon, the line of the Federal retreat 
having been marked by the conflagrations of \tagons and 
stores. It was now discovered that the Federals had 
taken position behind Powhite Creek, which flows into 
the Chickahoniiny just below New Bridge, and were 
prepared to make a desperate stand ; and certainly never 
did an army have a better position for such a purpose. 
''He [McClellan] occupied a range of hills, with his 
right resting in the vicinity of McGeehee's house, and 
his left near that of Dr. Gaines, on a wooded bluif 
wdiich rose abruptly from a deep ravine. The ravine 
was filled with sharp-shooters, to whom its banks gave 
protection. A second line of infantry was stationed on 
the side of the hill, behind a breastwork of trees, above 
the first. A third occupied the crest, strengthened with 
rifle-trenches and crowned with artillery. The approach 
to this position w^as over an open plain about a quarter 
of a mile wide, commanded by this triple line of fire, 
and swept by the heavy batteries south of the Chicka- 
honiiny. In front of his centre and right the ground 
was generally open, bounded on the side of our approach 
by a w^ood with dense and tangled undergrowth, and 
traversed by a sluggish stream which converted the soil 
into a deep morass. The woods on the farther side of 
the swamp were occupied by sharp-shooters, and trees had 
been felled to increase the difficulty of its passage and 
detain our advancing columns under the fire of infantry, 
massed on the slopes of the opposite hills, and of the 
batteries on their crests. Pressing on towards the York 
River Railroad, A. P. Hill, wdio was in advance, reached 
the vicinity of New Cold Harbor about two p.m., where 
he encountered the enemy. He immediately formed his 



BATTLES AROUND RICHMOND. 



193 



line nearly parallel to the road leading from that place 
towards McGeehee's house, and soon became hotly en- 
gaged. The arrival of Jackson on our left was moment- 
arily expected. Under this impression, Longstreet was 
held back until this movement should commence. The 
principal part of the Federal army was now on the north 
side of the Chickahominy. Hill's single division met 
this large force with the impetuous courage for which 
that officer and his troops are distinguished. They drove 
the enemy back, and assailed him in his strong position 
on the ridge. The battle raged fiercely, and with vary- 
ing fortune, more than two hours. Three regiments 
pierced the enemy's line, and forced their way to the 
crest of the hill on his left, but were compelled to fall 
back before overwhelming numbers. The superior force 
of the enemy, assisted by the fire of his batteries south 
of the Chickahominy, which played incessantly on our 
columns as they pressed through the difficulties that 
obstructed their way, caused them to recoil. Though 
most of the men had never been under fire until the day 
before, they were rallied, and in turn repelled the advance 
of the enemy. Some brigades were broken, others stub- 
bornly maintained their positions, but it became apparent 
that the enemy was gradually gaining ground." * 

But where was Jackson during these hours of deadly 
struggle between his friends and his foes? After turn- 
ing the enemy's right on Beaver Dam Creek, he con- 
tinued his advance, and, meeting General Lee, had an 
interview with that chief, who instructed him to march 
on towards Cold Harbor, still bearing to the left, so as 
to let the approach to that place be on his right. Jack- 



* Lee's Eeport. 
17 



194 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

son continued liis march, having for guides young men 
Avho lived in tlie neigliborliood and were acquainted with 
the roads of the country. Pie told tliem he wished to go 
to Cold Harbor; and they, supposing he wished to get 
there by the shortest road, on coming to a fork in the 
road, took tlie one on the right hand, which, going by 
Gaines's ]Mill, approached Cold Harbor on Jackson's 
left instead of on his right. After moving along this 
road for a mile and a half. General Jackson w^as startled 
by hearing the sound of cannon directly in front of him. 
Turning quickly to the guide near him, he asked, shar})ly, 
^' Where is that firing ?" The guide replied that it came 
from the direction of Gaines's Mill. '' Does this road 
lead there?" the general asked, in a startled voice. The 
guide told him that it led by Gaines's Mill to Cold 
Harbor. ^' But," exclaimed he, ^^ I do not wish to go to 
Gaines's Mill ; I wish to go to Cold Harbor, leaving 
that place on the right." ^^ Then," said the guide, *^ the 
left-hand road was the one which should have been 
taken ; and had you let me know what you desired, I 
could have directed you aright at first." Thus, as he 
had feared, from his want of knowledge of the country 
a blunder had been committed, and at a crisis when no 
man knew wdiat it might cost. General Jackson, how- 
ever, bore himself with his accustomed equanimity, and 
allowed no one to see the anxiety he felt. The column 
was reversed with as little delay as possible and marched 
back to the right road. When it was suggested to him 
that this mistake might prevent him from reaching the 
field of action in time to save the day, he said, '' No, 
let us trust that the providence of our God will so over- 
rule it that no mischief shall result." As it turned out, 
the delay did not result in any serious mischief. Jack- 



BATTLES AROUND RICHMOND. 195 

son continued his march, and reached the point nortli of 
Cold Harbor in time to form a junction with General 
D. H. Hill ; after which he pushed forward to the right, 
and, passing Cold Harbor, ihiiy saw the enemy about 
half a mile to the south, drawn up in battle-array. Gen- 
eral Jackson rode forward, accompanied by many of his 
officers, to reconnoitre the enemy's position, but very 
soon, a heavy fire being opened upon them, they had to 
retire. 

Here again the want of good maps of the country, 
which ought to have been made when the Confederates 
were in undisturbed possession of it, was cruelly felt by 
General Jackson. The thundering cannonade coming 
from west of Cold Harbor told him that A. P. Hill was 
engaged in fierce combat with the Federals ; but if he 
led his troops forward to him, he feared, from the ap- 
parent position of the enemy, that his own men might 
be taken for the foe, and be fired into by their friends. 
There was no time to make a reconnoissance, and the 
forests prevented an extensive view of the country. 
There was nothing then left but to advance cautiously 
and fight the enemy wherever found. When he did 
come in contact with him. General Jackson drew up 
his line of battle on a road which formed an angle 
with the enemy's position, so that the brigades on his 
left (held by D. H. Hill) were near the enemy, while 
those on the right were farther off, and had to sweep 
around the arc of a circle to reach him, and thus had 
some distance to traverse in striking his line. 

The brigades on Jackson's left were soon hotly en- 
gaged with the enemy, ancl, like the men under A. P. 
Hill, they advanced to the charge with imdaunted valor. 
Pushing their way through the morass, they ascended 



196 I^JFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

the hill and engaged the enemy in the forest. !N'ever 
did soldiers move forward under a hotter fire; line after 
line withered away under the storm of shot and shell 
and bullets poured into their ranks; bnt the unfaltering 
officers rallied their shattered troops, and the battered 
regiments pressed on with undying courage. 

While this deadly struggle was going on on Jackson's 
left, the brigades which were on his right, being, as we 
have seen, farther from the line of the enemy, were kept 
idle there by a misconception of General Jackson's order, 
— one which, but for the great intelligence and patriotic 
devotion of his chief of staff. Colonel Dabney, might 
have been a fatal error. That officer having been sick. 
General Jackson was anxious to relieve him from the 
arduous duties of that perilous day ; but, finding that he 
could not be persuaded to leave the field of action on 
the plea of health, he ordered him to go to the rear and 
look for a brother whom he knew to be there. Colonel 
Dabney obeyed reluctantly, and as he moved off from 
the general was heard to say, " I am obliged to go, but 
he will see I won't stay." 

Colonel Dabney, a short while before, had wished to 
carry an important message from the general to the 
brigades in the rear, but the general, in his tender care 
of him, refused to let him go, and the colonel heard 
him give the order to another officer, who, it was ap- 
parent, misunderstood the general. Colonel Dabney, 
after making some pretense of looking uj) his brother, 
turned his horse's head in the direction of the rear bri- 
gades. He found, as he had suspected, that the order 
had been given them to await further orders before 
moving forward, instead of an order, as the general in- 
tended, to go at once into action. There was not a 



BATTLES AROUND RICHMOND. 197 

moment to be lost. One part of Jackson's force was 
engaged in a llfe-and-death struggle with the enemy, 
while the other was lying idle on the roadside. Colonel 
Dabney acted in this emergency with a promptness and 
decision worthy of his beloved chief. Going at full 
gallop to one after another of the brigade commanders, 
he laid the state of the case before them, and urged that 
without delay they should move rapidly forward to the 
aid of their comrades, for there was not a moment to 
be lost. The commanders, comprehending instantly the 
situation of affairs, got their troops into motion, and 
one after another disappeared from sight as they moved 
into the pine thickets or pierced the dense forests with 
no other guide to the foe than the sound of the firing. 
Such was the nature of the country, and so dense were 
the tangled forests and thickets, that the different bri- 
gades soon lost sight of one another, and, indeed, crossed 
one another's track to the field of action. 

In the mean time, the struggle on the field of battle 
was raging with unmitigated fury. The Confederate 
ranks were being rapidly thinned away, and their am- 
munition, even, was running low. General Jackson, 
unconscious that his order for the rear brigades to be 
brought into action had been misunderstood, thought his 
whole force was on the battle-field, and, seeing how slight 
the impression they were making on the enemy, his 
heart sank within him, and his whole bearing manifested 
more agitation than he had ever before been seen to be- 
tray. An eye-witness of the scene says of him, — 

"He was in a state of excitement such as I never saw 
him in, which transfigured his whole nature. His usual 
self-possessed, business-like air in battle had given place 
to a concentrated rage, l)y which his fiiculties were not 



198 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

confused, but braced. His face was crimson, the nerves 
of his cliin and cheeks twitching convulsively, his lips 
purple from sucking a piece of lemon Avhich he held in 
his hand and applied to his mouth unconsciously, his 
blue eyes blazing with a species of glare. He was riding 
liither and thither as if almost carried away with an un- 
controllable impulse to dash into one or another part of 
his line of battle, but after a career of twenty or thirty 
yards he arrested his horse with a sudden jerk which 
almost threw him upon his haunches. His voice espe- 
cially had undergone a peculiar change. Always rather 
curt, it had now become actually savage, like the bark 
of some beast of prey in furious combat: the very 
tones made my blood tingle. Yet let not the reader 
misunderstand me ; still there was no rant, no scolding 
or declamation, no forgetfulness even of his ordinary 
courtesy, and not a superfluous word or a shade of con- 
fusion in his orders. There seemed to be in his single 
body the energies of a volcano or a tempest, curbed by 
his iron will. I thought then, and still think, that I 
could conceive the cause of this unwonted excitement : 
he believed that his last brigade had been engaged for an 
hour, or possibly for hours, and that the enemy's force 
was unbroken : hence his anxiety and anger. . . . Cap- 
tain Pendleton, the assistant adjutant, and a favorite aid 
of the general, came from the direction of the fight and 
reported something. I surmised a message from Gen- 
eral Lee. Jackson's answer was, ^ Very well.' After 
a few moments he wheeled his horse upon him, and said, 
in a tone of inexpressible sharpness and authority, ' Cap- 
tain Pendleton, go to the line and see all the commanders. 
Tell them this thing has hung in suspense too long. 
Sweep the field with the bayonet !' . . . Before he had 



BATTLES AROUND RICHMOND. 199 

gotten out of our sight, however, a rollhig cheer ran like 
a wave along the line for more than a mile, and told us 
that the day was won. As was apparent afterwards, the 
six reserve brigades had now gotten well into action at 
various points, and their overtasked comrades, with their 
assistance, were enabled to drive in the enemy at almost 
every point. The sun was now near the tree-tops.'^ 

Chief among the brilliant charges of the day wiis that 
of the Texan Brigade, under General Hood, and of a 
Mississippi brigade under Colonel Law, of Whiting's 
division, on the Federal left. General Jackson in his 
report thus describes it : 

" Advancing thence through a number of retreating 
and disordered regiments, he came within range of the 
enemy's fire, who, concealed in an open wood, and pro- 
tected by breastworks, poured a destructive fire, for a 
quarter of a mile, into his advancing line, under which 
manv brave officers fell. Dashino; on with unfalterino- 
steps in the face of these murderous discharges of canis- 
ter and musketry. General Hood and Colonel Law, at the 
head of their respective brigades, rushed to the charge 
with a yell. Moving down a precipitous ravine, clam- 
bering up a difficult ascent, and exposed to an incessant 
and deadly fire from the intrenchments, these brave and 
determined men pressed forward, driving the enemy from 
his well-selected and fortified position. 

" In this charge, in which upwards of a thousand men 
fell, killed and wounded, before the fire of the enemy, 
and in which fourteen pieces of artillery and nearly 
a regiment were captured, the Fourth Texas, under 
the lead of General Hood, was the first to pierce these 
strongholds and seize these guns. . . . The shouts of 
triumph which rose from our brave men as they, unaided 



200 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

by artillery, had stormed this citadel of their strength, 
were promptly carried from line to line, and the tri- 
umphant issue of this assault, with the well-directed 
fire of the batteries, and successful charges of Hill and 
Winder upon the enemy's right, determined the fortunes 
of the day.'' 

An extract from General Lee's report will close the 
account of this fierce battle : 

" The arrival of these fresh troops [Jackson's] enabled 
A. P. Hill to withdraw some of his brigades, wearied 
and reduced by their long and arduous conflict. The 
line being now complete, a general advance from right 
to left was ordered. On the right the troops moved for- 
ward with steadiness, unchecked by the terrible fire from 
the triple lines of infantry on the hill, and the cannon 
on both sides of the river, which burst upon them as 
they emerged upon the plain. The dead and wounded 
marked the way of their intrepid advance, the brave 
Texans leading, closely followed by their no less daring 
comrades. The enemy were driven from the ravine to 
the first line of breastworks, over wdiich our impetuous 
column dashed up to the intrenchments on the crest. 
These w^re quickly stormed, fourteen pieces of artillery 
captured, and the enemy driven into the field beyond. 
Fresh troops came to his support, and he endeavored 
repeatedly to rally ; but in vain. He was forced back 
with great slaughter, until he reached the woods on the 
banks of the Chickahominy, and night put an end to 
the pursuit. Long lines of dead and wounded marked 
each stand made by the enemy in his stubborn resist- 
ance, and the field over which he retreated was strewn 
with the slain. On the left the attack was no less vig- 
orous and successful. D. H. Hill charged across the 



BATTLES AROUND RICHMOND. 



201 



open grouiicl in his front, one of his regiments having 
first bravely carried a battery whose fire enfiladed his 
advance. Gallantly supported by his troops on his right, 
who pressed forward with unfaltering resolution, he 
reached the crest of the ridge, and, after a sanguinary 
struggle, broke the enemy's line, captured several of his 
batteries, and drove him in confusion towards the Chick- 
ahominy, until darkness rendered further pursuit impos- 
sible. Our troops remained in undisturbed possession 
of the field, covered with the Federal dead and wounded, 
and their broken forces fled to the river or wandered 
through the woods. ^' 

Thus ended, amid smoke and darkness, the shouts of 
the victors and the flight of the conquered, the battle of 
the Chickahominy. The following description of Gen- 
eral Jackson's condition and appearance at the close of 
this anxious day is from the pen of the eye-witness from 
w^hom I have already quoted : 

" The task was now to find the general again ; no 
easy one in the confusion of the closing battle and gath- 
ering darkness. The roads, the fields, were thronged 
with bodies of infantry, trains of and)ulances, stragglers, 
cavalry, artillery, and wagons. As we struggled hope- 
lessly along, a voice was heard ten yards in front of us, 
which we recognized as that of General Jackson, but 
calm and subdued. On joining him, we found him 
-leaning forward on the pommel of his saddle, his head 
drooping, and his whole form relaxed with languor. 
The fire of battle had burned out in him, and nature 
asserted her rights to repose. After the exchange of 
greetings and congratulations, he said, '1 must rest; 
please find out a house where I can get some food and 
sleep.' He then rode wearily towards the west, and 



202 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

ultimately found a resting-place in the house of INIr. 
Sydnor, above Gaines's Mill/' 

On the morning of the next day, the 28th, it was 
ascertained that none of McClellan's troops were con- 
fronting the Confederates north of the Chickahominy. 
It was not certain, however, in which direction he would 
push his retreat, — whether down the peninsula or across 
to the James. 

To provide against the former course, a regiment of 
Confederate cavalry, supported by EwelFs division, was 
ordered to seize the York River Railroad. AVhen the 
cavalry reached Dispatch Station, on that road, the Fed- 
erals who were there withdrew to the southern side of 
the Chickahominy and burnt the railroad bridge. Ewell 
was ordered to proceed down the river to Bottom's Bridge, 
to guard that point, while the cavalry were to guard the 
bridges lower down the stream. 

Thus far General Lee's admirable plan for defeating 
and capturing McClellan's army had been well executed. 
He had been swept from the northern bank of the 
Chickahominy, and his retreat down the peninsula was 
cut off. It now only remained for the Confederate 
right wing to get between him and the James to com- 
plete the success by the capture of the Avhole Federal 
army. Magruder and Huger were therefore ordered to 
use the utmost vigilance, and attack the enemy should 
they discover that his forces in front of their commands 
were retreating. But now came obstacles which human 
skill could not overcome, and which were destined to 
thwart, in part, plans that were so ably conceived, and 
whose execution had been so brilliantly begun. Chief 
among these was the nature of the country, which ren- 
dered it impossible to obtain any certain Intelligence of 



BATTLES AROUND RICHMOND. 203 

the movements of the Federals, covered as they were 
by dense forests and impassable swamps. The bridges 
across the Chickahominy were burnt by the Federals 
as soon as they had crossed them. Late in the day of 
the 28th, clouds of dust showed that the Federal army 
was in motion, and later still it became apparent that 
their line of retreat Avas towards the James River. By 
Sunday morning they had burnt the bridges and gone. 
The Confederate generals were now eager to pursue. 
Longstreet and A. P. Hill Avere ordered to cross the 
Chickahominy at New Bridge early on the morning of 
the 29th. The Grapevine Bridge on Jackson\s front 
was so broken down that there was necessarily con- 
siderable delay in having it repaired, but it was suffi- 
ciently repaired by a late hour on Sunday afternoon to 
enable General Jackson and his staff, accompanied by 
the Stonewall Brigade, to cross. He passed through the 
wrecks of the camp which had been so hastily abandoned. 
The whole country was strewn with deserted wagons, 
heaps of half-destroyed meat and grain, ambulances, 
medicine-wagons, axes, picks, torn clothing, vegetable- 
cans, and every thing which an army could need, — all 
more or less destroyed or injured. As he advanced, 
General Jackson came up with the forces of Magruder, 
with whom General Lee was present, watching the move- 
ments of the enemy. It was decided upon consultation 
that it was too late for General Jackson to brinor hjg 
troops over the Chickahominy that night and make an 
advance, and that he should return to them and renew 
the pursuit early in the morning. 

On reaching the northern bank of the Chickahominy, 
Jackson soon heard the sound of guns, which betokened 
the engagement between Magruder and the Federals. 



204 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

Had Jackson been able to cany out General Lee's origi- 
nal plan and cross the Chickahominy sooner, his route 
would have brought him at this time to the rear and 
flank of the Federal army, which by this joint attack 
would have received a severe if not fatal blow. The 
fight was severe, but not decisive, and the Federals con- 
tinued their retreat under cover of darkness, leaving 
behind many hundred prisoners, and their dead and 
wounded. Jackson, chafing at being idle when such 
activity was needed, gave orders for all to be in readiness 
to move forward at early dawn, and lay down in the 
0])en air to rest for a short time, but was awakened at 
midnight by a shower of rain, which wetted him through 
and through. Feeling that there would be no more rest 
for his men that night, he ordered them to move at 
once, while he himself rode forward; and when his 
forces reached the battle-field near Savage Station early 
on Monday, the 30th, they found him standing before a 
camp-fire drying his clothes. 

Kot stopping to get any food, he moved on, capturing 
at Savage Station a field-hospital containing twenty-five 
hundred sick and wounded. Other prisoners fell into 
his hands at every step, until at last he sent a thousand 
to the rear, saying, in reply to some one wdio remarked 
that the maintenance of such a number would be a great 
expense, " It is cheaper to feed than to fight them.'' 

In the mean time, Longstreet and A. P. Hill were 
advancing on the Darbytown road, followed by ^lagru- 
der, while Jackson followed the road taken by the enemy. 
Longstreet and A. P. Hill, continuing their advance on 
the 30th, soon came upon the enemy strongly posted on 
Frazier's farm, across the Long Bridge road. Huger's 
route led to the right of this position, and Jackson's to 



BATTLES AROUND RICHMOND. 205 

the rear. General Holmes had crossed from the south 
side of James River the day before, and was moving 
down the river road and coming upon the line of the 
retreat. He was ordered to attack the column with 
artillery. Finding that the batteries placed on Malvern 
Hill, supported by a heavy force of artillery and aided 
by the gun-boats in the river, commanded this point of 
the line, he sent for reinforcements. Magruder was 
ordered to him, but could not reach him in time to make 
the attack that night. Huger, in the mean while, re- 
ported that the roads were so obstructed that he could 
not make his way to Longstreet and Hill. Jackson, who 
was also to have been up in time to aid these two gen- 
erals, was delayed by having his passage of White Oak 
Swamp disputed, and they were left to engage ih^ enemy 
alone. The fierce battle of Frazier's Farm ensued, and 
raged furiously until nine o'clock at night. Here, again, 
a serious but not fatal blow was given the Federal army. 
Under cover of darkness it continued its retreat, and 
again was lost an opportunity of annihilating it. 

General Jackson, having found the bridge across White 
Oak Swamp destroyed, could not push across, as we have 
seen, on the 30th, for the men could not be induced to 
repair the bridge, exposed as they were to the Federal 
fire. Perhaps if General Jackson had not been so pros- 
trated as he was by fatigue, he would have led his forces 
across by two fords which were found not far from the 
bridge. But flesh and blood could stand no more than 
his had done, and, after an ineffectual effort to cross, he 
gave it up, saying that night, as he dropped asleep, ex- 
hausted and worn out, "Now, gentlemen, let us at once 
to bed, and rise with the dawn, and see if to-morrow we 
cannot do something:^ During the day he had written 

18 



206 I^IFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

a note to Mrs. Jackson, expressing his gratitude to 
Providence for the successful defense of Kichmond, and 
venturing the hope that an honorable peace would soon 
enable them to be together at home once more. 

During that night the Federal forces were skillfully 
and silently Avithdrawn from Jackson's front and moved 
to Malvern HIllj which was destined to be on the morrow 
the scene of another fierce and bloody, but to the Con- 
federates fruitless, contest. Jackson crossed the Chicka- 
homlny early on the morning of July 1. The wearied 
and shattered troops of Longstreet and Hill had been 
withdrawn, and replaced by Magruder's. Moving for- 
ward for Malvern Hill, Jackson passed by these last, by 
whom he was loudly cheered, and hastened on after the 
enemy. He was not long in finding him, for he was 
posted on a high and commanding ridge in front of Mal- 
vern Hill. It would have been impossible for McClel- 
lan to secure a better position to make a stand than the 
one he there had, or for him to post his troops more 
skillfully than he did on this ridge, wdiich towered above 
all the surrounding country and was also under the pro- 
tection of the gun-boats In the James River. He had col- 
lected the remnants of his defeated but WTll-dlsciplined 
army, and had there a hundred pieces of artillery. With 
these guns and his whole force, he was prepared to stand 
at bay and once more confront his assailants. Facing 
the Confederates, this rklge sloped gently down to a 
plain ; but to reach this plain they had to make their 
Avay through a swampy wood. They then had to charge 
across the plain exposed to the galling fire of McClel- 
lan's powerful artillery, and, as they neared his formida- 
ble intrenchments and position, that of his equally deadly 
musketry. The line of battle was formed by Jackson 



BATTLES AROUND RICHMOND. 207 

with "Whiting's division on his left, D. H. Hill's on his 
right, and in the interval one of Ewell's brigades. On 
Jackson's right two of Huger's brigades were placed, 
and on the right of these Magruder's forces later took 
position. So ignorant were the Confederate leaders of 
the country, and so greatly were their communications 
with one another impeded by the density of the forests, 
that the whole line was not formed until late in the 
afternoon. The same causes prevented a general ad- 
vance at a given signal, so that General Hill, after dash- 
ing forward in gallant style, sweeping the plain and 
breaking and driving back the enemy's first line, found 
himself unsupported, and was forced to yield the ground 
so gallantly won. After several determined efforts to 
storm the hill, brigade after brigade advancing over a 
plain swept by a hundred guns, night put an end to the 
conflict, and left the Federals still holding their position 
and with the safety of their retreat now secured. 

After the battle w^as over. General Jackson went to 
the rear to rest. He found a pallet prepared for him 
on the ground by his faithful servant in the midst of 
wagons and ambulances. After taking some food, he 
threw himself upon it, and was soon wrapped in profound 
slumber. About one o'clock Generals Ew^ell and Hill 
tried to rouse him to get orders for the coming day. So 
sound asleep was he that it seemed almost impossible to 
do so, and, turning away from General Hill, he said, in 
an impatient tone, "Go away; the Yankees are all gone ; 
you will find none of them to-morrow." His words were 
prophetic. The 2d of July opened with a steady, pour- 
ing rain, and all that was to be seen of the Federal 
army, but a few days before so dazzling in the splendor 
of its equipments and the magnificent array of its serried 



208 I^^^E OF GENERAL THOMAS J, JACKSON. 

battalions, were the wrecks that marked the precipitate 
retreat of a vanquished host. They had retreated during 
the night, and in the morning the people living in the 
neighborhood of Haxall's saw spreading over the open 
fields a multitude of wearied and hungry soldiers, who, 
without any organization, thought only of reaching the 
slielter of their gun-boats. This they found at Harrison's 
Landing, where, their position being flanked on both 
sides by a creek and defended in front by intrench ments, 
they were safe from pursuit of the wearied Confederates. 
The 2d of July was spent by the Confederates In rest- 
ing, and orders were given that the whole army should 
set out next day in pursuit of the enemy. General Jack- 
son Avas anxious to make an early start, but could not 
rouse his staif; they were all Avearied out. Finally the 
general, out of all patience, ordered his servant to pack 
up everything, and to throw away all the coffee, Avhich, 
having been captured from the enemy, was considered 
a great luxury ; and he further declared that he Avould 
arrest the whole staflP if they did not rise at once. This 
threat eflPectually awakened them. 

This move of the Confederate army proved to be use- 
less ; the enemy Avas safe under the protection of his 
gun-boats, the opportunity of effecting his capture w^as 
gone, and, after sj^endlng a few days In gathering up 
arms, the army AA^as marched back on the 8th of July to 
the vicinity of Richmond. 

General Lee, In the close of his report of these en- 
gagements, says, — 

" Under ordinary circumstances the Federal army 
should haA'e been destroyed. Its escape AA^as due to tlie 
causes already stated. Prominent among these is tlie 
Avant of correct and timely information. This fact, 



BATTLES A ROUND RICHMOND. 209 

attributable chiefly to the character of the country, en- 
abled General McClellan skillfully to conceal his retreat 
■ and to add much to the obstructions with which nature 
had beset the way of our pursuing columns. But retrret 
that not more was accomplished gives way to gratitude 
to the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe for the results 
achieved. The siege of Richmond was raised, and the 
object of a campaign which had been prosecuted, after 
months of preparation, at an enormous expenditure of 
men and money, completely frustrated. More than ten 
thousand prisoners, including officers of rank, fifty-two 
pieces of artillery, and upwards of thirty-five thousand 
stand of arms, were captured. The stores and supplies 
of every description which fell into our hands were 
great in amount and value, but small in comparison 
with those destroyed by the enemy. His losses In battle 
exceeded our own, as attested by the thousands of dead 
and wounded left on every field ; while his subsequent 
Inpction shows In what condition the survivors reached 
the protection to which they fled." 

An extract from an account of this retreat, Avritten 
by one who was with IMcClellan's army, will close this 
chapter : 

'^Huddled among the wagons were ten thousand 
stragglers : for the credit of the nation be It said that 
four-fifths of them were wounded, sick, or utterly ex- 
hausted, and could not have stirred but for the dread 
of the tobacco-warehouses (used as prisons) of the South. 
The confusion of this herd of men and mules, wagons 
and wounded, men on horses, men on foot, men by the 
roadside, men perched on wagons, men searching for 
water, men famishing for food, men lame and bleed- 
ing, men with ghostly eyes looking out between bloody 

18- 



210 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

bandages that hid the face, — turn to some vivid account 
of the most pitiful part of Napoleon's retreat from Rus- 
sia, and fill out the picture, the grim, gaunt, bloody 
2)icture, of war in its most terrible features. 

"It was determined to move on during the night. 
The distance to Turkey Island Bridge, the point on 
James River which was to be reached by the direct road, 
was six miles. Commencing at dusk, the march con- 
tinued until daylight. The night was dark and fearful. 
Heavy thunder rolled in turn along each point of the 
horizon, and dark clouds spread the entire canopy. We 
were forbidden to speak aloud, and, lest the light of a cigar 
should present a target for an ambushed rifle, we were 
cautioned not to smoke. Ten miles of weary marching, 
with frequent halts, as some one of the hundred vehicles 
of the artillery-train in our centre, by a slight deviation, 
crashed against a tree, wore away the hours till dawn, 
when we debouched into a magnificent wheat-field, and 
the smoke-stack of the Galena was in sight. Xenophon's 
ten thousand o^reetins: ^The sea ! the sea !' were not more 
glad than we. 

"On reaching the river. General McClellan imme- 
diately proceeded on board one of the vessels. He 
appeared greatly perturbed. General McClellan met 
General Patterson as he stepped on board, laid his hand 
on his shoulder, and took him in a hurried manner into 
the aft cabin or ladies' saloon. As he went in, he beat 
the air with his right hand clinched, from which all 
])resent inferred there was bad news. To the astonish- 
ment of all, it was explained ^that the whole Army of 
the Potomac lay stretched along the banks of the river.' " 



CHAPTER XII. 

SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS. 

General Jackson always remained so closely in 
camp that he Avas never seen by the citizens, except those 
who happened to be near his war-path. They never, 
however, missed an opportunity of showing their devo- 
tion for him, and the host who could number him among 
his guests considered his house blessed by his presence. In 
the movements of the troops around Richmond, Jackson 
and his staif were, on one occasion, forced to ride through 
a field of uncut oats. The owner, seeing them, rushed 
up in great anger, and, addressing the general, vented 
all his rage on him, and wound up by asking his name, 
that he might report him. To this demand the general 
replied by saying, quietly, "Jackson is my name, sir.'^ 
" What Jackson ?'' asked the farmer. ^' General Jack- 
son,'' was the answer. "What!'' exclaimed the man, 
after a pause, seeming dumfounded as the truth dawned 
upon him, — "what! Stonewall Jackson?" '^That is 
what they call me," Jackson replied. "General," said 
the man, taking off his hat, and evincing in the tones of 
his voice the deepest love and veneration, "ride over my 
whole field ; do whatever you like with it, sir." 

After the battles around Richmond, General Jackson, 
seeing that McClellan's army was so crippled that several 
weeks must elapse before it could be re-organized and' 
again ready for service, was anxious that the Confed- 

211 



212 ^-^^^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

erate forces should be moved northwards and threaten 
Washington City. He urged this plan upon General 
Lee, and, through a friend, it was also submitted to 
President Davis. Events now took a turn which ren- 
dered it necessary for the Confederate army to move 
in the direction he desired. 

After his defeat around Richmond, McClellan lay 
inactive for a month at AYestover. In the mean time, 
however, the Government at Washington formed a force 
called the "Army of Virginia,'' out of the wrecks of the 
commands of Shields, Fremont, and the troops of Banks 
and McDowell. The army thus formed numbered about 
sixty thousand men, and, being placed under the com- 
mand of Major-General Pope, was ordered to march 
from Alexandria upon Gordonsville, in order to seize 
tliere the junction of the Orange and Alexandria and the 
Centi-al Railroads. General Pope, on taking command, 
issued an order in which he boastfully declared that he 
had never seen anything of his enemies but their backs, 
that his headquarters should be in the saddle, and that 
his army should be fed from the country through which 
it passed. He also gave permission to his troops to 
plunder the citizens of the country, and announced that 
those who would not take the oath of allegiance to tlie 
United States Government should be driven from his 
lines. After this order the counties through which this 
army marched were of course subjected to indiscriminate 
plunder and pillage. 

To check the advance and the atrocities of this army, 
General Lee ordered General Jackson, who had returned 
to the vicinity of Richmond on the 10th of July, to 
proceed with his command to Gordonsville. 

While the command was preparing for this march, on 



SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS. 213 

Sunday, the 13th, there entered Mr. Hoge's church in 
Kichmond an officer, who was alone and apparently a 
stranger to the place. He was dressed in a sunburnt 
uniform, and, coming quietly into the church, took his 
seat modestly near the door. He seemed absorbed in 
his devotions and in attention to the services. As these 
closed, it was whispered around that the stranger was 
no other than General Jackson ; but he, not giving the 
eager congregation an opportunity to feast their gaze upon 
his warlike figure, passed quickly through the crowd as 
he bowed to one or two acquaintances. He called on a 
mother who had lost a son in his command, and then 
returned to his tent. This was the only occasion upon 
which the living hero was seen on the streets of the Con- 
federate capital. 

The next day he wrote to Mrs. Jackson, — 

" Richmond, July 14. 
" Yesterday I heard Dr. M. D. Hoge preach in his 
church, and also in the camp of the Stonewall Brigade. 
It is a great comfort to have the privilege of spending a 
quiet Sabbath within the walls of a house dedicated to 
the service of God. . . . People are very kind to me. 
How God, our God, does shower blessings upon me, an 
unworthy sinner !'' 

Jackson arrived at Gordonsville with his command 
on the 19th of July. The change from the heavy, un- 
healthy atmosphere of the Chickahominy marshes to 
the light, bracing air of Piedmont was very neces-ary 
to him, for he reached Gordonsville jaded and worn 
out, and seemed just to be feeling in their full force the 
effects of the extraordinary fatigues and labors which 



214 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J, JACKSON. 

he had undergone in the Valley campaign and in the 
battles around Richmond. At Gordonsville he found 
repose under the hospitable roof of the Rev. Mr. Ewing, 
with whose family he spent his leisure moments after 
the duties of the day were over. The children of the 
household afforded him much j^leasure, and he delighted 
to take notice of them. One of them in particular — a 
little girl — was often caressed by him. She was fre- 
quently found sitting on his knee, and took such pleas- 
ure in playing with and admiring the bright buttons of 
his uniform that she made him promise to give her one 
for a keepsake when the coat was worn out. Nor did 
he forget this promise to his little pet; for, months after- 
wards, wiien the coat was laid aside, though burdened 
with all the cares and anxieties of a great military leader 
in the midst of a fierce war, he remembered her desire to 
have the button, and sent it to her. It is needless to add 
that she carefully preserved it among her most highly- 
prized treasures. 

While an inmate of Mr. Ewing's house. General Jack- 
son was a constant attendant at family prayers, and some- 
times conducted them himself Mr. Ewing says of his 
prayers, ^' There was something very striking in his 
prayers. He did not pray to men, but to God. His tones 
were deep, solemn, tremulous. He seemed to realize 
that he was speaking to heaven's King. I never heard 
any one pray who seemed to be pervaded more fully by a 
spirit of self-abnegation. He seemed to feel more than 
any man I ever knew the danger of robbing God of the 
glory due for our success." 

Having spent a feV days in Gordonsville, he went 
with his command into Louisa County, near by, where 
his horses were refreshed by the abundant pastures he 



SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS. 215 

found there. Fully appreciating the toil and anxiety 
of the coming campaign, Jackson seemed weighed down 
by the load of care and responsibility resting upon 
him; but, though he alludes to this in his letters to 
Mrs. Jackson, he at the same time administers a re- 
proof to himself for his repining spirit by recalling the 
toils of St. Paul, who " gloried in tribulation,'' and also 
by saying how unlike a Christian it was in him to mur- 
mur at any toil for his Redeemer. 

Having received information that Pope's force was 
very large, Jackson applied to General Lee for reinforce- 
ments. General Lee sent him immediately A. P. Hill's 
division. With this accession to his command he had 
no intention of lying idle near Gordonsville while Pope 
should collect his troops and perfect his plans for the cap- 
ture of that place. This latter general was now at Cul- 
peper Court-House, with only a part of his army, and 
Jackson determined to strike him a blow before his re- 
inforcements should arrive. For this purpose he gave 
orders for an advance in the direction of the enemy on the 
7th of August. Now, as on the eve of every other move, 
Jackson devoted all his spare moments to prayer and to 
petitions to the God of battles for guidance and sup- 
port. His servant, Jim, had observed this, and when on 
this occasion some gentleman asked him if he knew when 
a battle was coming off, he replied, ^' Oh, yes, sir. The 
general is a great man for praying, — night and morning, 
and all times. But when I see him get up several times 
in the night besides to go off and pray, then I know 
there is going to he something to pay ; and I go straight 
and pack his haversack, because I know he will call for 
it in the morning." 

The result of this advance of Jackson's was the battle 



216 I^IFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

of Cedar Run, which took place eight miles from Cul- 
peper Coiirt-House. Ewell's divdsion, which formed the 
advance, crossed the Rapidan on the 8th. Through 
some misconception of orders, however, A. P. Hill did 
not cross the river until the next morning, and the attack 
on the enemy could not be made until that day. On 
the morning of the 9th, therefore, Jackson was early 
in motion, and when within eight miles of Culpeper 
Court-House a body of Federal cavalry was seen drawn 
up on a ridge in his front. This body was soon found 
to have a heavy force at its back, and Jackson at once 
made his dispositions for battle. 

On the right of the road leading to Culpeper Court- 
House stands Slaughter's Mountain. On the north- 
eastern side of this ridge Jackson stationed Ewell, with 
Lattimer's and Johnson's batteries. These batteries, 
being by their position elevated about two hundred feet 
above the plains below, had full sweep at the enemy, 
and kept these plains free from them. Thus the Con- 
federate right was secure. The centre was held by 
General Early in advance, on the right of the road to 
Culpeper, with Taliaferro on his left. The left extended 
to the left of the road and alono- the edo-e of a wood. 
This part of the line was held by the Second Virginia 
Brigade, with the Stonewall Brigade in reserve as a sup- 
port. In front of the Confederate left lay a stubble- 
field, the shocks of wheat still standing, and beyond this 
field was a wood. In Genei^al Early's front there was 
a field of corn. 

After a furious cannonade of two hours, the battle 
began in good earnest at five o'clock in the afternoon. 
At that hour, the Federals, pushing their skirmishers 
through the cornfield in Early's front, advanced their 



SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS. 217 

infantry to the attack, while another body of infantry 
moved forward on his right. He thus was soon Avarmly 
engaged on his right and front. Upon his calling for 
reinforcements, Thomas's brigade of A. P. Hill's di- 
vision came to his aid, and he stubbornly maintained 
liis position. In the mean while, the main body of 
the Federal infantry moved suddenly out of the wood in 
front of the Confederate left, and, rushing across the 
intervening stubble-field, fell in superior numbers and 
with irresistible fury upon that part of the line. The 
battalion holding the extreme left of the line, finding that 
that of the enemy was overlapping theirs, fired a few 
shots and gave way. The left regiments of the Second 
Brigade, which stood next, now found the Federals on 
their flank, and in the wood in their rear. Thus beset 
on all sides, they fought like madmen ; but in vain. The 
Federals fell on them in front and rear. Surely, but not 
without desperate hand-to-hand fighting, the Confederate 
line was doubled back. The whole Second Brigade fell 
back in disorder; and the left of Taliaferro's brigade, 
being exposed, yielded also to the impetuous attack of the 
enemy, as did the left of Early's. The Federals seemed 
to be sweeping everything before them. It was now one 
of those moments in battle when an appeal has to be made 
by the commanding general to the devotion of his sol- 
diers to follow his lead and save the fortunes of the day. 
Jackson saw it, and, having delivered a few necessary 
orders, rushed forward, his countenance flashing with the 
fires of undying courage and patriotic devotion. For 
the first time during the war, he was seen to draw his 
sword. Waving it around his head, he cried out, in a 
voice whose ringing tones rose above the roar of battle, 
" Rally, brave men, and press forward ! Your general 
K 19 



218 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

^vill ]cad you ! Jackson Avill lead you ! Follow me !'^ 
His cry was not in vain. His shattered veterans rallied 
round his noble figure, which towered like that of a 
war-god above them. With a handful of men, he rushed 
forward to the fence which ran along the road, and from 
behind it they poured a volley into the advancing column 
of the enemy. Startled by this unexpected rally, the 
Federals stao:o;ered back. The Confederates, who had 
now all rallied at their general's command, followed this 
blow by another, and, their reserves coming up, the 
Federals found tliemselves in their turn attacked both 
in flank and in rear. The Confederates pressed forward 
with loud shouts, and drove back their lately victorious 
adversaries. The Federal commander, in his maddened 
attempts to retrieve the fortunes of a day which he had 
so nearly won, threw forward a splendid body of cavalry. 
On they rushed, men and heavy war-steeds, jarring the 
earth beneath as they thundered along. The heavy 
mass fell upon the Confederate front, and by its very 
weight swayed it back. But the Confederates closed in 
on either flank ; those in front rallied. On all sides a 
murderous fire was poured into the splendid array of 
men and horses. Volley followed volley. Baffled and 
beaten, enveloped in the pitiless fire of foes eager to 
avenge their late repulse, they soon became a mangled, 
mutilated mass, and were pushed off the field. The 
Confederates now rushed forward with shouts of victory 
on the left and centre, while Ewell's brigades swooped 
down from their lofty stand on Slaughter's Mountain 
and fell with irresistible force on the Federal left, and 
their retreat became a rout. Night closed on the vic- 
torious Confederates two miles in advance of the field 
of battle. Jackson was eager to push on to Culpeper 



SECOND BATTLE OF 3IANASSAS. 219 

Court-House, and continued his advance after nightfall, 
until the reply of the Federal batteries showed him that 
Pope had been reinforced. He then ordered a halt, and 
his soldiers bivouacked for the night. 

After every battle, the excitement and fatigues of the 
.day for Jackson seemed to be followed by a weariness 
and prostration which in more than one instance wrung 
from him the cry of "Rest; nothing but rest.'^ The 
night was clear, but there was no moon, and he rode 
back to the houses in the starlight, seeking a house 
where he could repose. Finding, however, that every 
one which he approached was filled with wounded men, 
he refused to enter, saying that his place might be given 
to some sufferer needing it more than he did. Just 
after turning away from one of these houses, he came 
to a little grass-plot, whose soft, inviting turf he could 
not resist, and, saying that this must be his resting-place, 
he dismounted. One of his staff spread a cloak on the 
grass for him, and the weary chief threw himself on his 
face upon it. There, beneath the stars, he slept ; the 
din of battle faded from his ears, and he dreamt, per- 
haps, of the distant wife, and of the home-joys, so much 
longed for, which he was destined never again to expe- 
rience. In his heart rested the heavenly peace of a 
God-fearing man, and over his head hovered the angel- 
blessings invoked upon him by a grateful and loving 
country. 

In this battle Jackson lost, in the fall of the knightly 
Winder, one of his ablest lieutenants. While standino; 
near a battery whose position he was directing, this 
lamented officer was struck by a shell, which knocked 
his field-glasses from his hand and inflicted a wound 
from the effects of which he expired in a few hours. 



220 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

Singularly gifted with graces of both mind and person, 
Heaven seemed to have made him to captivate the hearts 
of the brave men whom he so ably and so nobly led. It 
was characteristic of the man, and a nobler song in his 
praise than poet could sing, that when on the occasion 
of this battle he was ordered by his surgeon, on account 
of the state of his health, not to go into action, his only 
reply was to buckle on his sword and place himself at 
the head of his command. It is said that he never 
looked so handsome as when borne, dying, on a litter 
from tlie field of battle ; and the living still remember 
with what regret the ncAVS of his death was received by 
his countrymen. 

Two days after the battle, General Jackson wrote to 
Mrs. Jackson, — 

"On last Saturday God again crowned our arms with 
victory, about six miles from Culpeper Court-House. 
All glory be to God for his unnumbered blessings! 

" I can hardly think of the fall of Brigadier-General 
C. S. Winder without tearful eyes. Let us all unite more 
earnestly in imploring God's aid in figliting our battles 
for us. The thought that there are so many of God's 
people praying for his blessing upon the army which in 
his providence is with me, greatly strengthens me. If 
God be for us, who can be against us ?" 

On the 11th of August, General Pope sent a flag of 
truce to ask permission to bury his dead. The request 
was granted; and during this day of truce the burial- 
parties of the two armies, so lately engaged in deadly 
combat, mingled in friendly converse Avhile engaged in 
the discharge of their pious duty to their fallen comrades. 

In this battle the Confederates had eighteen or twenty 
thousand men engaged, and the Federals, according to 



SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS. 221 

their own account, thirty thousand. Their loss greatly 
exceeded that of the Confederates, which, in killed, 
wounded, and missing, was a little over thirteen hundred. 
They captured from the Federals one piece of artillery 
and three colors, and several thousand small arms. 

By this victory they inflicted such a blow upon Pope 
that his farther advance was hindered until Lee could 
bring up the remaining Confederate forces from around 
Richmond, where they were now no longer needed. 
Having been informed that Pope had been heavily re- 
inforced. General Jackson sent his wounded and the 
captured arms to the rear, and on the night of the 11th 
of August quietly withdrew to Gordonsville. 

After the battle of Cedar Pun, Burnside's corps, which 
had been brought from Xorth Carolina by the Federals, 
was marched to reinforce Pope at Culpeper Court- House. 
It was also believed that McClellan's remaining forces 
were to be recalled from James Piver and sent to Pope. 
General Lee accordingly began to move his troops from 
Richmond to Gordonsville. General Longstreet left 
Richmond on the 13th of August, and marched directly 
to Gordonsville. 

In the mean time, Pope had his forces along the line 
of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad ; but, in the 
hope of turning Jackson's left, he moved his right up 
towards Madison. This exposed his flank and rear, 
and General Jackson was anxious to attack him while 
thus exposed. As soon, therefore, as the troops began 
to arrive from Richmond, he left Gordonsville, in obe- 
dience to orders from General Lee, and, passing Orange 
Court-House, halted near the eastern base of Clarke's 
Mountain, where he massed his forces near the fords of 
the Rapldan. General Lee, who was now on the ground, 

19* 



222 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

was as impatient as Jackson to tlirow the Confederate 
column forward and dash it against tlie exposed flank 
and rear of his adversary, and accordingly he deter- 
mined that the troops should advance across the Kapi- 
clan at early dawn on the morning of the 18th. Could 
he move before Pope suspected his design, he felt certain 
of his capture or annihilation; for, shut up between the 
Rapidan on the south, the Rappahannock on the north, 
and the mountains on the w^est, and attacked suddenly on 
flanks and rear by troops flushed with victory, his escape 
would have been beyond the skill of man. But here, as 
so often before and afterwards. General Lee's plan, owing 
to the laggard movements of some of his subordinates, 
could not be fully executed. It was found on the 18th 
that the troops were not all in readiness to move forw\ard. 
Jackson, chafing like a caged lion in sight of his un- 
conscious prey, was eager to dash forward with such 
troops as he had in hand. He saw^ that every moment's 
delay involved the risk of the enemy's gaining informa- 
tion of the intended move, the success of which Avould 
thus bo thwarted. But General Lee, restraining both 
his own and Jackson's impatience, put oif the advance 
until the 20th, to give time for all the troops to be in 
readiness. 

This delay, as Jackson had foreseen, was fatal to the 
success of the design of capturing the whole Federal 
army, for on that night — the 18th — a party of negroes 
made their escape to Pope's camp and gave informa- 
tion of the movement of Confederate troops. The ill- 
starred Federal commander instantly took the alarm, and 
on the morning of the next day General Lee, from the 
summit of Clarke's Mountain, whence could be seen the 
whole Federal encampment across the Rapidan noticed 



SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS. 223 

that their tents which were farthest west were gradually 
disappearing. One by one the different commands 
there were seen to be striking their tents and silently 
stealing away. Pope, aroused to a full sense of his 
danger, was in full retreat for the northern side of the 
Rappahannock. 

General Lee started at once in eager pursuit of his 
retreating adversary, and early on the morning of the 
20th the whole Confederate army was in motion. Gen- 
eral Longstreet crossed the Rap i dan at Raccoon Ford, 
while Jackson crossed it higher up, at Somerville Ford, 
and moved rapidly on Brandy Stiition, on the Orange 
and Alexandria Railroad. He encamped that night near 
Stevensburg, and early on the morning of the 21st again 
took up his line of march in the direction of Beverly's 
Ford. On approaching the ford, the Federals were seen 
on the opposite bank. A Confederate battery was im- 
mediately placed in position, and, opening fire upon them, 
soon silenced their guns. General Stuart, who, with his 
fine cavahy division, was now co-operating with Jack- 
son, dashed over the Rappahannock, and, after skir- 
mishing with the enemy a few hours and capturing some 
prisoners, returned with the information that the Federals 
were mo\ang in large force upon his position, there. 
Pope, as was to be expected, was in full force on the 
northern bank of the Rappahannock and ready to dis- 
pute its passage with General Lee. 

The Confederate commander-in-chief now ordered 
Jackson to move up the Rappahannock, cross the stream 
high up, and then, after moving north a short distance, 
turn to the right and by a forced march reach Ma- 
nassas Junction, where he would be in Pope's rear. 
Longstreet was to follow in the same path, but in the 



224: L^FF. OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

mean time he was to tarry in Pope's front until that 
general, having heard of Jackson's move, should fall 
back to face him, to whose aid Longstrcet would then 
march in all haste. 

In carrying out this plan, Longstreet dragged his 
march out along the southern bank of the Kappahan- 
nock until the 26tli. Pope, with his army, kept pace 
with him on the northern bank, — the two armies open- 
ing fire upon each other with their artillery whenever the 
opportunity occurred, and now and then a body of the 
Federals dashing across the river, and, after a skirmish 
with the Confederates, again retiring to the north bank. 

With his men in light marching order, three days' 
rations in their haversacks, their hearts full of eagerness 
for the fray, and reposing unbounded confidence in their 
beloved leader, Jackson was far advanced on his brilliant 
march. 

On the morning of the 22d he resumed his line of 
march up the south side of the Rappahannock, a force 
of the enemy moving abreast with him on the north 
side. A^ter crossing the Hazel River, a tributary of the 
Rappahannock, his wagon-train was surprised by a small 
party of the enemy, who captured a few ambulances and 
mules, which, however, were soon recaptured. Contin- 
uing the march up the stream, the command passed by 
Freeman's Ford, which w^as found to be heavily guarded 
by the enemy, and halted at a point opposite Warren- 
ton Springs. There he found the bridge destroyed, and 
every evidence that the Federals were close at hand. 
In the afternoon. Early crossed with his brigade and 
took possession of the Springs. Before other troops 
could be passetl over to his support, a heavy fall of rain 
suddenly raised the river so as to make it impassable. 



SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS. 225 

Cut off from his friends, and surrounded by the enemy, 
the darkness of the night rendering every move un- 
certain, and the rain j^ouring down in torrents, Early's 
situation was extremely critical. But, with admirable 
skill and coolness, he concealed his troops from the Fed- 
erals, whom he kept at bay with his artillery during the 
23d, while General Jackson on his side of the stream 
hurried up the construction of a temporary bridge, and 
before dawn on the morning of the 24th, Early had 
safely recrossed the Rappahannock, without the loss of a 
single man. 

While a heavy cannonade was going on between A. 
P. Hill's artillery and the Federals, Jackson bent his 
line of march away from the river to the village of Jef- 
fersonton, a few miles off. He was thus lost sight of 
by the enemy, who, through Longstreet's presence at 
that point, was led to believe that the Confederate army 
would attempt the passage of the river at Warrenton 
Springs. 

Disembarrassed of the enemy, Jackson's path was 
cleared before him, and he girded himself up for the 
race. Leaving his wagons and taking only his ambu- 
lances, he started from Jeffersonton early in the morning 
of August 25. He was to move SAviftly and silently 
with his command across the Rappahannock, and then 
northward for a short distance between the Blue Ridge 
and the Bull Run range of mountains, when, turning 
eastward, he would cross the latter range through Thor- 
oughfare Gap and strike the Orange and Alexandria 
Railroad behind Pope, between whom and Washington 
he would thus be with his whole command. His men, 
forgetting the fatigues which they had undergone in 
fighting and marching since the 20th, pressed eagerly 



22G LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

forward. ]\Iany of them were without rations, and the 
green corn which they had hastily gleaned from the 
fields along their route was the only food they had. 
Having crossed the Rappahannock, after a march of 
twenty-five miles they ai)proached the village of Salem 
about sunset on the evening of the 25th. 

It was at the close of this day's march that Jackson's 
men paid him as touching a tribute of devotion as gen- 
eral ever received from his soldiers. He had gone in 
advance of his column, and, dismounting, stood upon a 
large stone by the roadside, his cap in his hand, and the 
last rays of the setting sun playing around his noble 
head and brow. His position, the magnificent repose 
of his figure in the midst of such stirring scenes, and 
the glow of his countenance already beaming with the 
assured hope of victory, made him the impersonation of 
patriotic devotion and military zeal. No wonder that 
when the advancing column caught sight of him an 
outburst of cheers rose from his devoted soldiers. By 
a gesture to the officers, he at once tried to suppress 
it, as to observe silence was one of the most necessary 
means to conceal their movements from the enemy. 
When the officers made his wishes known to the men, 
instantly the words ran along the line, ^' No cheering, 
men ; the general requests it." The noisy outburst 
ceased, but the far more touching silent cheer followed, 
for, amidst a silence broken only by the dull sound of 
the soldiers' weary tread, their heads were uncovered and 
their caps waved in the air as they passed their beloved 
commander. As regiment after regiment and brigade 
after brigade made this unwonted display of devotion, 
Jackson turned to his staff, and exclaimed, with emotion, 
"Who could not conquer with such troops as these?" 



SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS. 227 

With the early dawn the line of march was again 
taken np on the 26th, and, turnln;^ to the right on leav- 
ing Salem, Jackson led his troops throngh Thoroughfare 
Gap and down to Bristol Station, on the Orange and 
Alexandria Eailroad, which place he reached after sunset. 
He was now between Pope and AYashington, and cut off 
from his friends in front by the whole Federal army. 
General Stuart was protecting his right. This gallant 
officer had attacked the enemy on the night of the 22d 
at Catlett's Station, and, in spite of darkness and a heavy 
storm of rain, captured several hundred prisoners. Pope 
barely escaped capture, losing not only his uniform 
and money-chest, but also, what was of far more value, 
his dispatch-book, which revealed to General Lee the 
strength of his army, its position and movements. 

On reaching Bristol Station, General Jackson's first 
thought was to effect the capture of Manassas Junction, 
and he gladly accepted General Trimble's offer to move 
on it that night, in spite of the lateness of the hour and 
the fatigues of the day's long march. Trimble accord- 
ingly advanced to the work. General Jackson sent Gen- 
eral Stuart to his support, who, being ranking officer, 
thus took command of an expedition which was entirely 
successful, and resulted in the dispersion of the force at 
the Junction, and the capture of several hundred pris- 
oners, eight guns, and immense supplies of commissary 
and quartermaster stores. 

On the morning of the 27th, Jackson arrived at Manas- 
sas with two of his divisions,— the third, Ewell's, being 
left at Bristol to w^atch Pope, with orders to resist him 
as long as he could if attacked, but when too closely 
pressed to fall back to Manassas. 

Soon after reaching Manassas, having in the mean 



228 ^^^'^^ ^^ GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

time driven off a Federal battery which had fired into 
his troops, Jackson perceived a body of the enemy 
advancing on him with great s^iirit along the railroad 
leading from Alexandria. They had just arrived in all 
haste by a train from that place, having been sent, with 
tlie gallant General Taylor at their head, to clear Pope's 
rear of the Confederate force which was now upon it. 
They were ignorant that the said force was Jackson's 
whole corps, and, thinking it to be only a light body of 
horse, they dashed forward with all the impetuosity of 
men sure of an easy victory. The hot fire which greeted 
them both in front and in flank showed them the toils 
in which they were now hopelessly entangled. Volley 
after volley was poured into their ranks, until General 
Jackson, moved by their pitiable situation, rode towards 
them nlone and at the risk of his life and waved his 
handkerchief as a sign that he wished to save them from 
slaughter. Their reply was a volley of musketry. His 
advances of mercy thus repulsed, he returned quickly 
to his men and ordered them to finish tlieir bloody 
work. The enemy were instantly routed and pursued 
from the field, on which they left their commander 
mortally wounded. 

After this brief engagement, the w^eary Confederate 
troops had leisure to refresh themselves out of the vast 
captured stores. The two days' subsistence on green corn 
was now followed by a feast on the spoils of the enemy. 
The troops, after bountifully supplying their wants, 
destroyed the remaining supplies and stores, to prevent 
their recapture by the enemy. 

In the mean time, Ewell, wdio had been left at Bristol 
Station with orders to fall back to Manassas should he 
be too heavily pressed by the Federals, had been attacked 



SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS. 229 

by them in full force on the afternoon of the 27th. 
Finding from the fresh troops constantly arriving that 
their whole army was upon him, he fell back as ordered, 
General Early bringing up his rear, and with consum- 
mate skill withdrawing the infantry and artillery in 
perfect order from the engagement. 

That night Jackson sent one of his divisions across 
the Warrenton and Alexandria turnpike, which it crossed 
near Groveton, and then halted near the battle-field of 
the first Manassas. This division was joined by the 
remaining two divisions of Jackson's corps on the 
morning of the 28th. His whole command, together 
with Stuart's cavalry, was now concentrated north of 
the AYarrenton turnpike; his left Aving rested on Bull 
Eun ; his right extended towards the road leading from 
Thoroughfare Gap, to which point his eyes were now 
anxiously turned, hoping every hour to see the head of 
Longstreet's column coming in sight. Jackson's posi- 
tion was becoming more and more critical, for, although 
he had been brilliantly successful in the execution of the 
movement intrusted to him by General Lee, yet by it he 
had roused the Federal commander to a sense of the 
dangers thickening around him, and had placed him- 
self with the whole Federal army between him and 
his friends. Should Longstreet's march be seriously 
delayed by any unforeseen danger, Jackson would be 
crushed by the sheer weight of superior numbers. 

He had scarcely placed his troops in position north of 
the Warrenton turnpike before the enemy were seen ad- 
vancing in full force down that road. Jackson, fearing 
that they were in full march for Alexandria in order to 
escape a battle, did not hesitate to risk his own safety by 
attacking them. He could not see the game slip thus 

20 



230 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

easily from the toils so skillfully spread for it, and he 
instantly prepared to attack the Federal column on the 
flank as it passed. It Avas soon seen, however, that its 
line was bending southward away from the Warrenton 
turnpike towards Manassas Junction. Jackson lost not 
a moment in ordering an advance on his right, and, 
having gained a commanding position, opened fire upon 
the enemy. They returned the fire very fiercely, and a 
bloody conflict ensued. The Federals obstinately held 
their ground until about nine o'clock, when, having suc- 
ceeded in protecting the exposed flank of their column 
as it passed slowly, they fell back and left the field to 
the Confederates. In this engagement two of Jack- 
son's three major-generals — Ewell and Taliaferro — were 
wounded. Under cover of darkness the Federal army 
moved that night farther to the east and to Jackson's 
left, placing itself between him and AVashington. 

The morning of the 29th dawned and revealed to 
Jackson the enemy's position and his design, which was 
manifestly to give him battle and crush him, if possible, 
before the arrival of succor. The danger of their situa- 
tion was plain now to both oflicers and men of the Con- 
federate army. Once more, and with increased anxiety, 
all eyes were turned in the direction of Thoroughfare 
Gap ; but there were still no signs of the approaching 
reinforcements. Early in the day, clouds of dust along 
the Thoroughfare road excited hopes of their near ap- 
proach; but these passed away with the clouds of dust, 
from which emerged the dark lines of a body of Federal 
troops. At ten o'clock the Federals opened fire from 
their batteries on Jackson's right, whence his replied 
with spirit. A general and fierce engagement was 
threatened every minute. But now once more high 



SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS. 231 

and dense columns of dust rose along the road, towards 
which all Confederate eyes were turned, and couriers 
dashed up out of breath to announce the near approach 
of Longstreet. His men, wearied by a long forced 
march, pressed forward with revived energies as their 
ears caught the sound of Jackson's guns. Men and 
officers saw that the race was now^ to the swift, and all 
dashed forward. Stuart's horse met them and cleared 
their path to Jackson : the union of the two corps Avas 
com])lete, and the game was won. 

After Longstreet's arrival on Jackson's right, the 
Federals changed the face of their attack to his left. 
Jackson's troops were formed along the line of an 
unfinished railroad, whose cuts and embankments thus 
gave him an admirable line of defense. About two 
o'clock in the afternoon the enemy hurled his dense 
masses against Jackson's left, which was held by A. P. 
Hill's division. In spite of a withering fire, the Fed- 
erals pressed forward with great valor. Again and again 
they were repulsed, and again and again they returned 
to the charge. At one time they dashed over a deep cut 
in the railroad and penetrated a gap in the Confederate 
line between two brigades ; but from this point they 
were soon driven back. To meet these furious assaults 
the Confederates fought with unsurpassed bravery. Six 
times the enemy charged ; six times he was driven back, 
the combatants firing into one another sometimes at a 
distance of not more than ten paces. The Confed- 
erates stood firm. Along the embankments and in the 
cuts they fought until their ammunition was exhausted ; 
they fought with the bayonet, and they fought with 
stones, which they found in the cuts where they stood. 
Now and then a soldier would volunteer to carry from a 



232 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

staff-officer in the rear a small supply of ammunition, 
and, running through a heavy fire, would drop down 
like an angel into the midst of some party whose ammu- 
nition was exhausted. 

These brave men, after being under fire for seven 
hours, were now yielding, and were replaced by Early's 
brigade, who, finding the enemy occupying the railroad, 
dislodged them and drove them across the field, pur- 
suing for a short distance, when the Confederate troops 
were recalled, and the combat ceased for the day on that 
end of the line. 

In the mean time, Longstreet, whose line, being at 
right angles to Jackson's, fronted eastward, was informed 
by General Stuart that the enemy was approaching from 
Bristol in heavy columns on his right. This proved to 
be a corj^s of McClellan's army which was being hur- 
ried to Pope's support. Longstreet immediately dis- 
posed his troops to meet them, while the indefatigable 
Stuart made his troopers dash up and down the Thor- 
ouirhfare road, drao^o-ino- brush and raisino; such clouds 
of dust that the enemy, thinking a large body was coming 
to Longstreet's aid, fired a fcAV ineffectual shots at him, 
and, moving around to the east, joined the forces in front 
of Jackson. 

Longstreet now moved forward, and was engaged in 
combat until nine o'clock at night, capturing many pris- 
oners, a piece of artillery, and several regimental stand- 
ards. Finding the enemy heavily massed on his front, 
he withdrew to his original lines at one o'clock in the 
morning; and it was this Avithdrawal which made Pope 
telegraph to his Government that the day had been vic- 
torious for the Federal arms. 

The combat at length died away along the whole line. 



SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS. 233 

and the wearied but heroic Confederates sank to sleep, 
arms in hand, along the lines ^vhich they had so bravely 
held. But, before the whole army was lost in slumber, 
small groups of soldiers and officers were seen scattered 
here and there through the woods, and the solemn tones 
of the chaplains in their midst sliowed that they were 
reporting to that great Captain into whose presence many 
of them w^ould have entered and found the heavenly 
rest before the next day's sun had set. 

Wearied and worn, travel-stained and begrimed with 
the smoke and dust of battle, Jackson and his officers, as 
they assembled around him that night, presented a group 
whose pale and stern countenances betokened too well 
the fatigues and anxieties of the past week and their 
appreciation of the fierce struggle of the morrow. The 
dead and the dying surrounded their bivouac in the 
open air, and little was said beyond inquiries and re- 
marks about the events of the day which had been so 
dearly won. Jackson's surgeon, Dr. McGuire, in speak- 
ing to him of the fierce struggle, said, ^^ General, this day 
has been won bv nothinp; but stark and stern fio-ht- 
ing." " No/' said Jackson, earnestly ; '^ it has been 
won by nothing but the blessing and protection of 
Providence." 

General Lee, who had arrived upon the scene of action 
with Longstreet, now had his foe in his iron grasp, for 
he could not retreat in safety in front of the Confederate 
army, and the Southern leader knew well that in a 
battle victory must perch on his banners. The morning 
of the 30th, therefore, found Lee calmly awaiting in 
the lines of the previous day the enemy's attack. The 
Federals now had Bull Run at their backs and the 
Confederate army confronting them. The Confederate 

20* 



234 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

line of battle was concave, — Jackson, as we have seen, 
holding the left and Longstreet the right. The artil- 
lery was placed on a fine position in the centre. Thus, 
with its arms spread out, it was prepared to receive the 
Federals in a deadly grasp. 

The Federals did not begin their regular attack upon 
the Confederate lines until about four o'clock in the 
afternoon, when, moving from under the cover of a 
wood, they dashed gallantly forward to the charge. Line 
after line, brigade after brigade, swept up to the Confed- 
erate lines. But the brave troops who defended them held 
them against the repeated and determined assaults of the 
enemy. As on the previous day, the fiercest fighting 
Avas in and around the cuts, — the Federals obstinately 
endeavoring to dislodge the Confederates from them, and 
the Confederates holding them gallantly against fearful 
odds. 

In front of one of these cuts, where the struggle was 
intensely fierce, and at times almost hand to hand, a 
Federal flag Avas seen to hold its position for half an 
hour within ten yards of a Confederate regimental flag. 
It went down six or eight times, but was as often raised 
and waved aloft. The Confederates again supplied the 
want of ammunition by stones, with which they fought 
furiously and effectively. A Confederate officer, in his 
report of this battle, mentions having seen a Federal sol- 
dier killed by a stone thrown by one of his lieutenants. 
The battle raged with this intense fury on Jackson's lines 
for about half an hour, when, finding that they were 
giving way at several points, Longstreet was ordered to 
reinforce him. But, before he received this order, that 
able commander, finding that the enemy's advancing 
lines were exposed to his artillery fire, thundered away 



SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS. 235 

at them, and by the shinghter which lie made relieved 
Jackson's men from the pressure upon them. The 
enemy now began to yield, and a general advance was 
ordered. The two wings of the Confederate army began 
to close in upon the Federals, who were now literally in 
the jaws of death, while the artillery poured an unre- 
lenting fire into their ranks. Their retreat soon became 
a rout, and their mao-nificent reo;iments and brio-ades 
dissolved into a horde of men seeking safety in the 
shelter of the woods to which they were fleeing. In- 
closed as they were between Bull Run and the Confed- 
erate lines, the slaughter was immense, and ceased only 
when night put an end to it. Under cover of darkness 
the Federals escaped across the stream, and a storm 
which had been gathering for hours and overhanging 
the scene of carnage burst with pitiless force upon the 
heads of friend and foe. The day which had been spent 
by the wearied soldier in a fearful struggle was followed 
by a night in which but little rest could be found beneath 
the fierce pelting of the storm. 

Jackson's men rose from the "ground on the mornin": 
of the 1st of September drenched with rain and stiff 
with cold. They soon had orders to march, and in a 
few hours were under way. The enemy having re- 
formed their lines on the heights of Centreville, and 
presenting once more a front, Jackson was ordered to 
turn their position. As soon, however, as they found 
that he was moving for that piu'pose, they resumed 
their line of march ; but when they approached Fairfax 
Court-House the indefatigable Jackson was found ready 
to fall on them. A sharp engagement, known as that 
of Ox Hill, followed, in which the Federals, though 
successful for a few moments, were finally repulsed, and 



236 J^^^^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

they resumed their line of retreat. Here, as upon the 
bloody field of the evening before, the roar of a thun- 
der-storm succeeded that of the battle, and once more 
the soldiers slept upon the wet earth. 

The Confederates lost in this succession of battles 
over seven thousand men, of which number nearly five 
thousand belonged to Jackson's corps. On the 1st of 
September he wrote to Mrs. Jackson, — 

*' God in his providence has again placed us across 
Bull Run ; and I pray that He will make our arms en- 
tirely successful, and that the glory will be given to his 
holy name, and none of it to man. 

" God has blessed and preserved me through his great 
mercy.'' 

One of Jackson's officers, being at home on furlough, 
applied. for an extension of his leave of absence. A 
member of his family had just died, and another Avas 
dangerously ill, and it seemed almost cruel for him to 
leave just then his home, so darkened by domestic afflic- 
tion. Jackson felt for him keenly, and there could be 
no more striking proof of the warmth of his aifections, 
and of his high sense of duty, than is given in the fol- 
lowing admirable letter written in reply to this officer, 
asking, under such painful circumstances, for an exten- 
sion of his furlough : 

^^ My dear Major, — I have received your sad letter, 
and wish I could relieve your sorrowing heart; but 
human aid cannot heal tlie wound. From me you have 
a friend's sympathy, and I wish the suffering condition 
of our country permitted me to show it. But we must 
think of the living, and of those who are to come after 
us, and see that, with God's blessing, we transmit to 



SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS. 237 

them the freedom we have enjoyed. What Is life with- 
out honor? Degradation is worse than death. It is 
necessary that you should be at your post immediately. 
Join me to-morrow morning. 

" Your sympathizing friend, 

"Thomas J. Jackson." 



CHAPTER XIII. 



SHARPSBURG. 



Ox the mornins: after the battle of Ox Hill the 
Federal army had entirely disappeared from sight, and 
was reported to have passed Fairfax Court-House in 
full retreat for Washington. Thus the two armies of 
McClellan and Pope returned broken and shattered to 
the shelter of the fortified Federal capital, which they 
had so lately left great in numbers, splendid in equip- 
ment, and believing that they could easily sweep every 
obstacle from their path. The theatre of war was now 
removed from the interior of the State to the frontier ; 
and in order to prolong this state of affairs, in every 
way so desirable to the Confederates, General Lee deter- 
mined to cross the Potomac and draw the enemy away 
from his base of supplies. Lee^s troops, feeble in trans- 
portation, lacking clothing, and thousands of them des- 
titute of shoes, with but a scanty supply of the materiel 
of war, were poorly equipped for an invasion. But 
their commander had such confidence in their fortitude, 
energy, and courage that he determined to carry the war, 
even under these disadvantageous circumstances, across 
the Potomac, his hope bei ug that the Federals might at 
least be detained on the frontier until the approach of 
winter should make their advance into Virginia difficult, 
if not impossible. 

The Confederate army was then put in motion for the 
238 



SHARPSBURG. 239 

Potomac, and on the morning of the second day after 
the fiofht at Ox Hill General Jackson and his braves— 
who were now jestingly called " foot-cavalry/' from the 
rapidity of their marches — moved forward, withont 
having stopped for more than a day's rest after their 
long forced marches and hard-fought battles. The first 
day's march brought them to Dranesville, the second 
to Leesburg. The wliole country now resounded with 
Jackson's fame, and to gain a glimpse of him was the 
great desire of all those within whose reach he passed. 
Old and young vied with one another in doing him 
honor. The glory which his brilliant achievements had 
shed upon the Confederate arms, his devoted patriotism, 
and the singular piety and purity of his character, made 
him the darling of the nation. The devotion of his 
countrymen for him was shown in the many touching 
attentions which he received ' whenever his line of 
march led him near their homes. On the occasion of 
this march through Leesburg he passed a house in the 
doorway of Avhich stood a lady. Hearing who he was, 
in her enthusiasm she ran down the steps and out into 
the middle of the street, where, hastily taking off her 
scarf, she cast it before the general's horse. Not under- 
standing her motive, and too modest to think that it was 
to honor him, the general reined up his dun Avar-horse 
and looked in amazement from the lady, who had now 
retreated to the side- walk, to the scarf spread in front 
of his horse's feet. One of the young officers attached 
to his staff, and close behind him, seeing his bewilder- 
ment, said to him, in a stage Avhisper, " She means you 
to ride over it, general." A sweet smile at once over- 
spread his face as he comprehended the honor intended 
him, and, spurring his horse forward, he gracefully took 



240 I^JJ^E OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

off his hat as his steed bounded over the scarf. In 
more than one instance, on his march through parts of 
the country where he was known only by fame, people 
rushed forward and threw their arms around his horse's 
neck. 

Jackson's command bivouacked on the 4th of Sep- 
tember near the Big Spring, between Leesburg and the 
Potomac, and on the 5th they crossed that river at 
White's Ford. At this point the Potomac is about half 
a mile wide, and flows over a level, pebbly bottom ; and 
here for hours the troops were to be seen crossing the 
stream. The whole army rushed forward as they came 
in sight of the river; the infantry waded cheerfully 
through its waters, and the northern bank resounded 
w^ith enthusiastic cheers as one detachment after another 
planted their feet on the Maryland shore. That night 
they bivouacked near the Three Springs, and the next 
day reached the vicinity of Frederick City, in Maryland. 
General Jackson w^as met by a committee of citizens, 
who presented him with a horse. At Frederick City he 
rested from the 6th to the 10th of September. As soon 
as he had crossed the Potomac, the most stringent orders 
against straggling from the ranks and against the depre- 
dation of property were issued ; and so excellent was the 
discipline in his command that the people of the country 
suffered in no way from the presence of the Confederate 
troops. The day after his arrival in Frederick City 
being Sunday, Jackson attended services held in the 
German Reformed Church; and the citizens of the place 
attended their various churches with as perfect a feeling 
of security as if there had been no invading army in 
their midst. 

In the mean time, the Government at Washington had 



SHARPSBURG. 241 

been filled with alarm at the passage of the Potomac by 
the Confederate army, and General Hal leek, the com- 
mander-in-chief, trembled for the safety of tlie capital. 
President Lincoln was no less alarmed, and, at his verbal 
request. General McClellan was at once placed in com- 
mand of the Federal army. As General Lee had fore- 
seen, this commander immediately withdrew all of his 
troops to the north bank of the Potomac. General Lee 
had also taken for granted that the Federal troops at 
Harper's Ferry would at once be recalled to Washington 
upon his advance into Maryland becoming known. And 
indeed McClellan urged that they should be, but Gen- 
eral Halleck declined ; and now, with the Confederate 
army between Washington and Harper's Ferry, all com- 
munication between the two places was interrupted. 

The whole Confederate army having assembled around 
Frederick, General Lee called a council of war in which 
to consult his generals as to the next step to be taken. 
It had been his intention to carry his army to Western 
Maryland, establish his communications with Richmond 
through the Valley of the Shenandoah, and, by threat- 
enino; Pennsylvania, induce the Federal commander to 
follow, and thus draw him from his base of supplies. 
He had supposed that the advance upon Frederick would 
lead to the evacuation of Martinsburg and Harper's 
Ferry, thus opening the line of communication through 
the Y alley. This not having occurred, two plans were 
left to the Confederates : one, to disregard Harper's 
Ferry for the present, and, choosing a good position, at- 
tack McClellan as he advanced ; the second, to move the 
army by diflFerent routes through the mountains into 
Western Maryland, one part of the army to reduce 
Harper's Ferry, and then the different corps to concen- 
L 21 



242 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

trate and join battle with McClellan. General Jackson 
was in favor of the first plan, but General Lee of the 
second, which it was determined to follow. To accom- 
plish the captnre of Harper's Ferry with tlie least pos- 
sible delay, General Jackson was ordered to proceed 
with his command to ^lartinsburg, and, after driving 
the enemy from that place, to move down the south 
side of the Potomac upon Harper's Ferry. 

To carry out this plan, Jackson left Frederick on the 
10th of September, and, passing rapidly through Mid- 
dletown, Boonsboro', and Williamsport, recrossed the 
Potomac into Virginia on the 11th. The Federal com- 
mander in Martinsburg, on hearing of Jackson's approach, 
evacuated the town on the night of the 11th, and, retreat- 
ing to Harper's Ferry, fell into the trap which the Con- 
federate commander-in-chief had set for him. Jackson's 
cavalry entered the town on the morning of the 12th. 

Thus in three summer months he had swept down 
the Valley, winning the battles of Cross Keys and Port 
Republic, had fought through the seven days' fighting 
around Richmond, had turned north to win the battle 
of Cedar Mountain and to see victory perch once more 
on the Confederate banners in the second battle of 
Manassas, and now completed the circuit by entering 
Harper's Ferry at the mouth of the Valley. 

In that loved Valley the trumpet of his fame had 
given forth no uncertain sound ; hi its defense his most 
glorious victories had been achieved, and now, when he 
returned with fresh laurels interwoven with those won 
there, he was welcomed back by its grateful people with 
the wildest enthusiasm. A party of ladies, moved by 
their admiration for him and their desire to see him, 
visited him at his headquarters and extended to him the 



SHARPSBVRG. 243 

most cordial greetings. One of them begged for one 
of his uniform buttons. His crimsoned face showed his 
embarrassment, and, saying, ^'Really, ladies, this is the 
first time I was ever surrounded by the enemy," he 
slipped from their midst. 

Jackson paused but a short time in Martinsburg, and, 
pressing forward the same day, the head of his column 
came in sight of the enemy about eleven o'clock the next 
morning (13th), and found them drawn up in force upon 
Bolivar Heights. These heights, extending from near 
the Shenandoah to the Potomac, shut Harper's Ferry 
up in the triangle formed by the union of these two 
rivers. 

General Lee, in his admirable plan for the capture of 
the Federal force at Harper's Ferry, had ordered Gen- 
eral McLaws to advance and seize the INIaryland Heights, 
on the northern side of the Potomac, and General Walker 
to cross the river and seize the Loudon Heights, on the 
Yircrinia side. These movements would shut the Fed- 
erals up in Harper's Ferry, with no chance of escape. 
General Jackson, having completed the circuit of sixty 
miles round by Martinsburg from Frederick to Harper's 
Ferry, was anxious to know Avhether Generals McLaws 
and AValker had arrived at their respective posts, to 
reach which required only one day's march. He ac- 
cordingly signaled the Loudon and INIaryland Heights, 
and, receiving no reply, found that he had reached the 
post assigned him before they had attained theirs. He 
sent couriers at once to the Maryland and Loudon 
Heights to report the arrival of Confederate troops there. 
They returned during the night with the intelligence 
that INIcLaws, having swept the enemy from the ]\Iary- 
land Heights, had taken possession of that point about 



244 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

half- past four o'clock in the afternoon (13th), and that 
General AValker liad seized Loudon Pleights the same 
evening. The Federals were now beset on all sides. 
The night of the 13th, and part of the day of the 14th, 
were spent by General McLaws in cutting a road by 
which artillery could be taken up to the ^laryland 
Heights. By two o'clock in the afternoon he had four 
pieces in position, and he and Walker poured shot and 
shell into Har})er's Ferry and the enemy's camp, spread- 
ing great consternation among them. The batteries 
from the heights, however, could not reach the Federals 
in their works alono^ Bolivar Heisrhts. On the extreme 
left of the enemy's line General Jackson observed an 
eminence held only by infantry. He ordered General 
Pender, of Hill's division, to seize this position, while 
Branch and Gregg Avere directed to march along the 
river under cover of the night, taking advantage of the 
ravines cutting the banks of the stream, and establish 
themselves on the plain to the left and rear of the 
enemy's position. Both moves Avere successfully accom- 
plished, and the dawn of day found the Confederates in 
rear of the Federal line of defense. 

At daybreak, General Lawton, who was to support 
General Hill's advance, moved forward and attacked in 
front and flank, while McLaws and Walker thundered 
down upon them from their lofty positions. After an 
hour's resistance, the Federals hoisted the white flag, and 
in a short time the Confederates on the Loudon Heights 
had the extreme satisfaction of seeing the head of General 
A.'P. Hill's column approach the town to take jDossession 
of it. 

•By the capture of Harper's Ferry, eleven thousand 
prisoners, seventy-three pieces of artillery, and thirteen 



SHARPSBURG. 245 

thousand small arms fell into the hands of the Confed- 
erates, besides stores of different kinds. 

Most liberal terms of surrender were allowed the pris- 
oners by General Jackson. Tlie officers were permitted 
to retain their side-arms and all their personal effects on 
giving parole. They also had wagons and horses lent 
them to carry their baggage into the Federal lines. The 
privates were released on parole. 

In the mean time, grave events for the Confederate 
army had occurred in IMaryland, which it is necessary 

noAV to notice. 

When Jackson began his march from Frederick on 
the 10th, Longstreet and D. H. Hill started the same 
day, and, crossing the South ^Mountain, moved towards 
Boonsboro'. General Stuart was left east of the Blue 
Ridge, to watch the movements of the enemy. General 
Hill haked near Boonsboro', to prevent the enemy from 
escaping from Harper's Ferry by Pleasant Valley, and 
also to be in supporting distance of the cavalry; while 
General Lono-street continued his march to Hagerstown. 
When the Confederates left Fredericktown, the advance 
of the Federals had been so slow that it w^as thought 
that Harper's Ferry could be reduced and the Confed- 
erate army again concentrated before it would be called 
on to confront the Federals. But an unfortunate acci- 
dent hurried up McClellan's advance and endangered 
the verv existence of the victorious Confederate army. 
A copy 'of General Lee's order directing the movements 
of his'^army from Fredericktown was dropped in the 
streets of that town, and fell into McClellan's hands. 
This paper revealing to him General Lee's plans and 
the disposition of his troops, he at once determined 
to disregard the timid orders from Washington urgmg 



246 I^JFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

caution, and, pressing forward witli vigor, to fall on his 
adversaries before they conld concentrate and present 
to him a i-olid front. The situation of the Confederate 
army was now one of extreme peril, but not too great, 
however, for the skill of its heroic commander or for 
tlie courage of its brave troops. McClellan began at once 
to push forward, and on the afternoon of the 13th Avas 
reported to be approaching the pass in South Mountain 
on the Boonsboro' and Fredericktown road. The Con- 
federate cavalry fell back slowly before him, constantly 
retarding his advance, and thus securing time to the 
Confederates for preparations to oppose him. Should 
he succeed in penetrating the mountains here, he would 
be able to march down Pleasant Valley, fall upon Mc- 
Laws's rear, and relieve the garrison of Harj^er's Ferry. 
General D. H. Hill, being, as we have seen, near Boons- 
boro', sent back, on the loth, the brigades of Garland 
and Colquitt to defend the pass, and advanced later with 
the rest of his division on hearing that the enemy was 
near in full force. Early on the morning of the 14th, 
the enemy, by a road south of the Boonsboro' and Fred- 
ericktown road, attempted to force their way to the rear 
of Hill's position. A fierce conflict ensued, in which the 
enemy were repulsed, but the gallant Garland fell. 

For five hours Hill's small force repelled the repeated 
assaults of the Federals and checked their advance. In 
the mean time, Longstreet, hearing of his danger, hur- 
ried from Hagerstown, and arrived on the scene of action, 
with his troops much exhausted, at between three and 
four P.M. The fighting continued to be spirited until 
night. On the south of the turnpike the Federals were 
driven back some distance, and their attack on the centre 
was repulsed with loss. Their greatly superior numbers, 



SHARPSBURG. 247 

however, enabled them to stretch beyond both the Con- 
federate flanks, and, ascending the mountain, to press 
down upon their left, which was gradually forced back; 
while beyond their right a body of the enemy entered 
Pleasant Valley througli Crampton's Gap, where they 
were only five miles in rear of McLaws. 

General Lee now determined to withdraw to Sharps- 
burg, where he would be on McClellan's flank and rear 
should he attack McLaws, and in a position, too, to con- 
centrate his own army. The move was effected safely 
and without interference on the part of the enemy, who 
were so harassed in their advance by Fitz-Hugh Lee's 
cavalry that they did not appear on the west side of the 
pass at Boonsboro' until about eight o'clock in the 
morning of the 15th. In i\\Q mean time, McLaws, 
with untiring energy, held the Federals in check at 
Crampton's Gap, while from the. Maryland Heights his 
artillery thundered down upon Harper's Ferry. The 
surrender of that place was received at nine o'clock on 
the morning of the 15th of September. General Jack- 
son, having been informed by General Lee of the grave 
aspect which affliirs had assumed, and having been or- 
dered by him to hasten with all speed to Sharpsburg, 
left General A. P. Hill to receive the surrender of the 
Federal troops, and set out with the rest of his com- 
mand for that place by Shepherdstown, leaving orders 
for Walker and McLaws to follow. 

Soon after the arrival of Longstreet and D. H. Hill 
at Sharpsburg on the morning of the 15th, the welcome 
news of the fall of Harper's Ferry was received there, 
and reanimated the courage of the troops. Early on 
the 16th General Jackson arrived, and General Walker 
came on the evening of the same day. General Mc- 



248 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

Laws's movements were embarrassed by the presence of 
the enemy at Crarapton's Gap, so that he did not reach 
Sharpsburg until the 17th, at a most critical hour of the 
battle. 

Sharpsburg is a village situated two and a half miles 
east of the Potomac, and one mile west of Antietam 
Creek. When they reached this place on the morning 
of the 15th, Longstreet and Hill were placed in position 
on a range of hills lying between the town and the creek, 
and nearly parallel to the course of the stream, — Long- 
street on the right of the road leading across the creek to 
Boonsboro^, and Hill on the left. McClellan followed 
the Confederates so slowly, and was so harassed in his 
advance by Fitz-Hugh Lee's cavalry, that he did not 
appear on the opposite side of the Antietam until about 
two in the afternoon of the 15th. During the rest of 
the day the batteries on each side were slightly engaged. 

On the 16th the artillery fire began in earnest, and 
was kept up with animation the whole day. The Fed- 
erals crossed the Antietam and threatened the Confed- 
erate left. In anticipation of this move. General Lee 
had ordered Hood to take position on Hill's left, and 
now General Jackson on his arrival on this day was 
ordered to place himself on Hood's left, — his own left 
extending towards the Potomac, — v/hile General AValker 
went to Longstreet's right. As evening approached, the 
enemy bore down heavily with his infantry upon Hood, 
while his artillery thundered away most vigorously. 
His attack was, however, gallantly repulsed, and the two 
armies, confronting each other, slept upon their arms that 
night, to renew the bloody contest with the coming day. 

At early dawn on the 17th the Federal artillery opened 
with great spirit from both sides of the Antietam, the 



SHARPSBURO. 249 

heaviest fire being directed against the Confederate left, 
which, as we have seen, was held by Jackson. By sun- 
rise the Confederate skirmishers were driven in, and the 
enemy appeared in immense numbers on Jackson's front. 
His little band, foot-sore and Avearied out by long marches 
and hard fightings now numbered only seven thousand 
men. Against these McClellan liurled the forces under 
Hooker, Mansfield, and Sumner, numbering, by his own 
statement, forty-four thousand men, and supported by 
five or six batteries of rifled guns. This terrible on- 
slaught was sustained by Jackson's veterans Avith the 
utmost resolution and gallantry, and for several hours 
the battle raged Avith great fury and A^arying fortune. 
The murderous fire of the Federals made sad havoc in 
the Confederate ranks. Three brigadiers, one after the 
other, Avere placed hors du combat. The gallant General 
Starke Avas killed. Officer after officer fell. Yet the 
Federal lines w^re repeatedly broken; but, fresh troops 
being brought up to replace those AAdio Av^ere defeated, 
Jackson's troops AA^ere in turn forced back. His shat- 
tered lines, reduced to a shadoAv, sullenly fell back, turn- 
ing to make a stand Avherever the ground offered a good 
position. 

Jackson ordered Early to replace A\n'th his brigade a 
di\Msion Avhich, its ammunition being exhausted, had to 
be Avithdrawn. Fragments of other commands attached 
themselves to his brigade and AA'ent into action. Hood 
and Early now held their ground against OA^erwhelming 
odds. The enemy's lines AA^ere broken ; but, being rein- 
forced, he again pressed forAvard, forced back the Confed- 
erates, and began to gain ground. But the stubborn 
resistance of the Confederates retarded their advance 
until General McLaAvs arrived on the scene of action. 



250 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

and until General Walker could be hurried from the 
right to the support of the sorely-pressed left. Hood's 
brigade, diminished in numbers and out of ammunition, 
withdrew, and was replaced by that of General Walker, 
who rushed into the attack with spirit, and drove the 
Federals back with great slaughter. General Early, 
liavino^ in the mean time seen reinforcements arrive 
under McLaws, dashed forward at the same time, and 
the enemy were driven back in confusion, closely fol- 
lowed by the Confederates, beyond the position occupied 
at the beginning of the engagement. 

Assault after assault was made by the Federals on the 
Confederate left, but they were finally repulsed with 
loss, and, abandoning the attack with infantry, they for 
several hours kept up an artillery fire, which was sus- 
tained with the same coolness and spirit. 

The attack on the left was followed by one on the 
centre, in which the Federals were repulsed, and retired 
behind the crest of a hill, whence they kept up a desul- 
tory fire. At this part of the field, through an unhappy 
mistake, a Confederate brigade was withdrawn from its 
position. The enemy, seeing this, pressed forward, and, 
pouring through the gap thus caused, pierced the Con- 
federate lines. In trying to make a stand against this 
rush. Generals R. H. Anderson, G. B. Anderson, and 
Wright were wounded, — the second mortally, — and borne 
from the field. 

General D. H. Hill and other officers rallied a few 
hundred men to the support of four pieces of artillery, 
and with these the heavy masses of the enemy were re- 
sisted. So firm a front did this small force present 
(Colonel Cooke, with the 27th North Carolina Regiment 
of Walker's brigade, standing boldly in line without a 



SHARPSBURO. 251 

cartridge) that, with the assistance of two other batteries, 
the advance of the Federals was checked, and in an 
hour and a half they retired. 

AVhile the attacks on the left and centre were going 
on, the Federals were making every effort to force the 
passage of a bridge across the Antietam, opposite the 
right wing of General Longstreet, which General D. R. 
Jones commanded. The bridge was defended by Gen- 
eral Toombs with two regiments, and with this small 
force he repulsed five different assaults of the Federals. 
In the afternoon the Federals began to extend their line, 
as if to cross the Antietam below the bridge, and at four 
P.M. Toombs's regiments retired from the bridge. The 
enemy immediately crossed over in great numbers, and 
advanced upon General Jones, who held the crest of the 
hill with less than two thousand men, and forced him to 
retire. 

In the mean time. General A. P. Hill, who had, as we 
have seen, been left at Harper's Ferry, received orders 
from General Lee early in the morning of the 17th to 
hurry forward to Sharpsburg. By half-past seven his 
division was in motion, and at half-past two p.m. he re- 
ported in person at its head to General Lee on the battle- 
field of Sharpsburg, having by that hour completed the 
march of seventeen miles from Harper's Ferry. Never 
was the arrival of reinforcements to a sorely-pressed 
army more opportune. Hill was at once ordered to the 
right. He moved forward to the post assigned him, and 
threw his troops rapidly into position. He reached the 
field not a moment too soon. The enemy, advancing 
from the bridge in three lines, had broken through D. 
R. Jones's division, captured a battery, and Avere in the 
full tide of success. Hill's batteries united their fire 



252 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

with those of General Jones, and one of D. H. Hill's, on 
the left of the Boonsboro' road. The eifect of this con- 
centrated fire was marked : the Federal advance was 
immediately arrested, and their line wavered. The Con- 
federates saw the happy moment, and eagerly seized it. 
Toombs was ordered to attack the Federal flank, while 
Archer, of A. P. Hill's division, with a yell of defiance, 
charged them in front, recaptured the lost battery, and 
drove them back pell-mell. A destructive fire was now 
poured into their ranks by the brigades of Brancli and 
Gregg, of Hill's division. The gallant Branch fell, but 
the Federals surged back, broke, and retreated in con- 
fusion, closely pursued by the troops of Hill and Jones, 
until they reached the protection of their batteries on the 
opposite side of the creek. And so ended the struggle. 
The shades of night were now gathering over the 
scene, and the approaches to the stream were swept by 
a number of batteries massed for that purpose by the 
enemy. On the opposite shore, too, stood the Federal 
general Porter, with his corps of fresh troops, ready to 
dispute the advance of the Confederates. TJiese, ex- 
hausted by long marches and the fatigues of the hard- 
fought battle, had performed prodigies of valor in 
repelling successfully the attack of so powerful a foe. 
An advance under these circumstances, in the face of 
fresh troops, was not to be thought of, and the pursuing 
troops were recalled and formed on the line held by 
them in the morning, with the exception of the centre, 
where it was drawn in about two hundred yards. In 
this engagement General McClellan's army numbered 
ninety thousand splendidly -equipped men. General 
Lee, in his report, gives the follo'wing picture of his 
gallant little band of veterans : 



SHARPSBURG. 253 

" The arduous service in which our troops had been 
engaged, their great privations of rest and food, and the 
long marches, without shoes, over mountain roads, had 
greatly reduced our ranks before the action began. These 
causes had compelled thousands of brave men to absent 
themselves, and many more had done so from unworthy 
motives. This great battle was fought by less than forty 
thousand men on our side, all of whom had undergone 
the greatest labors and hardships in the field and on the 
march. Nothing could surpass the determined valor 
with which they met the large army of the enemy, fully 
supplied and equipped, and the result reflects the highest 
credit on the officers and men eno-ao-ed." 

The Confederates slept upon their arms on the night 
of the battle on the field the possession of which they 
had so determinedly held. The 18th was spent by both 
armies in burying their dead and removing their wounded. 
General Lee, finding on that day that INIcClellan was 
about to receive fresh troops, determined, in view of the 
exhausted state of his army, that it would be best not to 
risk another battle, and accordingly, on the night of the 
18th, quietly withdrew his forces to the Virginia side of 
the Potomac, leaving not a man or a gun behind him, 
and taking with him all of his wounded except those who 
could not bear the removal. General Jackson brought 
up the rear-guard, and for hours he was seen sitting on 
his horse in the middle of the river watching the passage 
of his troops across the Potomac ; nor did he cross over 
himself until he had seen the last man and the last gun 
safely landed on the Virginia shore. 

After crossing the Potomac, General Jackson marched 
his troops four miles up the road towards Martinsburg, 
and there encamped. On the heights overlooking the 

22 



254 I^JFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

Potomac, General Pendleton was placed with thirty pieces 
of artillery, with which to defend the passage of the 
river should the Federals attempt it. They in the mean 
time had advanced and planted seventy guns on the 
northern bank, and one of their army corps was soon on 
the same shore. Under cover of night a detachment 
crossed the river, surprised the Confederates, and cap- 
tured most of their guns, their infantry support being 
seized with a panic and deserting them. General Pen- 
dleton went at once to General Jackson's headquarters 
and reported this disaster, which he believed to be greater 
than it even was, for he reported the loss of every gun. 
It is said that General Jackson never during the war 
betrayed so much anxiety as he did on this occasion, 
hearing, as he did, that the army had been thus stripped 
of its artillery. He at once gave orders to effect the 
recovery of the lost guns. A. P. Hill, with his usual 
activity, was first on the scene of action, and, forming 
his troops Into two lines, he charged the enemy with 
great gallantry, and with utter disregard of the shot and 
shell which w^ere poured into their ranks from the seventy 
guns on the opposite shore. The Federals tried to resist 
this sweeping charge, and bore heavily on Hill's left. 
Upon this, his second line, marching by the left flank, 
moved from behind the first. The two now charged 
at the same time, converging upon the Federal troops. 
Down the hill the Confederates rushed, with a defiant 
yell, sweeping all before them. Into the river they 
drove the Federals pell-mell, and then from the bank 
poured a murderous fire into the confused mass of human 
belno^s struffglins: In the stream. In vain the Federal 
batteries directed their fire with redoubled fury on the 
Confederates. They coolly held their ground, and dealt 



SIIARPSBURG. 255 

death to the unhappy force they had just swept into the 
river. 

The news of the temporary success of the Federals 
having reached General Lee had excited his alarm for 
his artillery quite as much as it had roused General 
Jackson, and he had dispatched two messengers to him 
to take steps for its recovery, which he had already 
adopted. The second messenger reached him just as he 
was watching the repulse of the enemy, and he only re- 
marked, " With the blessing of Providence they will 
soon be driven back." 

In this brilliant engagement, known as that of Bote- 
ler's Ford, the Confederate loss was not quite three 
hundred, while the Federals admitted a loss, in killed, 
drowned, and prisoners, of over three thousand. 

The Confederate army, w^orn out by long marches and 
hard fighting, now enjoyed a few days' repose on the 
banks of the Opequan, near Martlnsburg, after which 
time it was marched to the vicinity of AYinchester. 

No private or officer had felt the fatigues of this ar- 
duous campaign more than Jackson. In the forced 
marches which were so frequent towards its close, more 
than once he was so completely overcome with sleep that 
members of his staff rode beside him and held him on 
his horse as he rode along half asleep. Several times 
he stopped, and, dismounting, leaned his head on a fence, 
and, stretching his arms out on it, slept for five or ten 
minutes, having ordered his staff to rouse him at the end 
of that time. He was afraid to lie down, lest he should 
drop into a slumber so profound as to make it difficult 
to awaken him. 

It was at the end of this campaign that an incident 
occurred which illustrates his extreme amiability and 



256 I^^^E OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

kindness of heart. An old woman made her way to his 
headquarters and annoyed the young officers on his staif 
excessively by saying she had come to see her son John, 
who was with ^' Jackson's company." She thought it 
strange that they could not tell her where ^^ John" was, 
for he had been with "Jackson's company" in all the 
battles. The young men were disposed to laugh at her, 
— when the general appeared, and, hearing her simple 
story, rebuked them for their manner to her, and had 
the regiments in his whole corps searched through and 
John found and restored to the loving arms of his 
simple-hearted old mother. 



CHAPTER XIY. 



FEEDERICKSBURG. 



Kever were the enchanting days of a Virginia au- 
tumn more intensely enjoyed than by the veterans of the 
nrmy of Northern Virginia as they reposed amid the 
pleasant fields of the lovely Valley of Virginia. Never 
had the sweets of rest been so grateful to wearied soldiers 
as they were to these heroes after an arduous and honor- 
able campaign of several months. General Jackson^s 
fame was now at its height. The love his soldiers bore 
him knew no bounds, and the enthusiastic cheers which 
arose from their ranks always announced his appearance. 
He was affectionately and familiarly spoken of by them 
as"01d Jack.'^ 

This lull in the activities of war was not spent by 
Jackson in idleness. He busied himself in reorganizing 
his shattered battalions after the ravages of the terrible 
campaign through which they had just passed, and he 
bent all his energies towards having his troops properly 
armed and clothed. In this he partially succeeded; but, 
after every effort had been exhausted, many of the men 
were left barefooted, and in this condition were forced to 
meet the inclemencies of the approaching winter season. 

On the 11th of October the Confederate Government 
conferred on General Jackson the rank of lieutenant- 
general. It must be borne in mind that this rank was 
given to Jackson after the most brilliant achievements 

22- 257 



258 J-J^^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

of his extraordinary career, — achievements which had 
placed his name among those of the world's great cap- 
tains, — and that in this war the splendor of his military 
career was second only to that of his beloved commander- 
in-chief; and yet in spite of this brilliant record the 
authorities placed his name fourth on the list of lieuten- 
ant-generals, all of whom were aj)pointed at the same 
time. Both Jackson's ambition and his sense of justice 
were wounded by this, and, though too far above all 
paltry jealousies to complain, yet he felt it keenly, and 
never forgot it. 

After this appointment of lieutenant-generals. General 
Lee's army was divided into two corps, — Longstreet 
commanding one, and Jackson the other. Jackson's corps 
consisted of his old division, commanded by Brigadier- 
General Taliaferro; Ewell's division, commanded by 
Brigadier-General Early, who was soon raised to the 
rank of major-general ; A. P. Hill's and D. H. Hill's 
divisions. There were, besides, a number of batteries 
thrown into battalions, and placed under the general 
charge of Colonel Crutchfield, a young officer whose 
merits General Jackson had quickly discerned, and whose 
promotion to the responsible position of colonel of artil- 
lery he had urged and obtained. With these four fine 
divisions, and a skillful set of artillerists, his corps was 
complete, and formed as fine a body of soldiers as any 
nation could produce. 

But, in the midst of reorganization, promotions, and 
all the absorbing duties of army life during war, his 
thoughts still turned more devoutly and more enthusi- 
astically to religion than to any ether subject. The fol- 
lowing letter to Mrs. Jackson affords ample proof of 
this: 



FREDERICKSBURG. 259 

" Bunker Hill, October 13. 

^' Mr. G invited me to be present at communion 

in his church yesterday, but I was prevented from en- 
joying the privilege. But I heard an excellent sermon 

from the Rev. Dr. S . His text was 1 Timothy, 

chap, ii., 5th and 6th verses : ^ For there is one God, 
and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ 
Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified 
in due time.^ It was a powerful exposition of the word 
of God. He is a great revival minister; and when he 
came to the word ' himself,^ he placed an emphasis on it, 
and gave to it, through God's blessing, a power that I 
never before felt. . . . And I felt, with an intensity 
that I never before recollect having realized, that truly 
the sinner who does not, under gospel privileges, turn 
to God, deserves the agonies of perdition. The doctor 
several times, in appealing to the sinner, repeated the 
6th verse: MVho gave himself a ransom for all, to be 
testified in due time.' What more could God do than 
give himself a ransom ? . . . He is laboring in a revival 
in General Ewell's division. Oh, it is a glorious priv- 
ilege to be a minister of the gospel of the Prince of 
Peace ! There is no equal position in this world." 

With such deep devotional feelings. General Jackson, 
of course, took the greatest interest in the labors and 
success of the army chaplains in their professional duties ; 
and for those chaplains who shirked these duties he had 
no patience whatever, and was even for bringing them 
under strict military discipline and forcing them up to 
the mark. 

History tells, perhaps, of no more touching scenes 
than those given us in the descriptions of the nightly 



260 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

services held in the Confederate army, both on the march 
and in the camp. In the days of the second battle of 
Manassas we have seen these nightly services carried on 
in the lull afforded by night between two hard days' 
struggle. At the close of this campaign these meetings 
were attended by unusual numbers. While resting in 
the Valley of Virginia on their well-earned laurels, 
officers and men seemed alike to feel that, having been 
borne safely through such an ordeal as the bloody cam- 
paign just ended, they at least owed their Maker daily 
worship and praise. Thus, night after night, a hymn 
rising from a little group that the chaplain had assem- 
bled around him was the signal that the hour of evening 
worship was at hand. Then from the different brigades 
and regiments groups were seen approaching to join this 
little company, officers of every grade and rank min- 
gling with the privates, until, at last, the mellow light 
of the October moon shone down on an assembla«:e of 
several hundred men, who thus in the midst of all the 
pomp and pageant of war, surrounded as they were by 
its grim realities, sat with the meekness of little children 
at the feet of the Prince of Peace. By the flickering 
light of a torch the chaplain read the Bible to his 
numerous and silent hearers, and as the torchlight was 
reflected upon their uplifted grave and thoughtful fiices, 
— faces in whose stern lines might be read the victories 
of the Valley, the severer but equally glorious successes 
around Richmond, the hard-fought field of Manassas, 
and the stubborn resistance at Sharpsburg, — what inspi- 
ration must he not have drawn from the solemnity of 
the scene, and with what earnestness must he not have 
uttered the words of truth, of hope, and of consolation ! 
In promoting the success of the chaplains in their 



FREDERICKSB URO. 261 

labors in lils corps, General Jackson never stopped to 
inquire of what denomination they were. It was only 
necessary for him to know that they Avere sincere Chris- 
tians and earnest laborers in the calling which they had 
undertaken. On one occasion a Roman Catholic priest 
who visited Jackson's corps wished to have a tent in 
which to carry on the services of his Church for the 
benefit of the men in this corps belonging to it. He 
made application to Jackson for the tent. The general 
saw no objection to his having it, but, before granting 
the application, made inquiries concerning the priest and 
satisfied himself that he was a man of good character. 
When his attention was again called to the matter, he at 
once agreed that the priest should have the tent, and 
added, with some warmth, as if to suppress any objection 
which might be made to it, " He shall have it, I care 
not what may be said on the subject.'' 

On the 18th of October General Jackson went to 
Martinsburg to superintend the destruction of the Balti- 
more and Ohio Railroad, w^hich afforded the enemy such 
facilities for the transportation of men and supplies. 
From a j)oint west of Martinsburg to the neighborhood 
of Harper's Ferry the track w^as torn up and destroyed. 
Bridges w^ere burnt and culverts blown up ; and the iron 
rails after being torn from the track were thrown on 
heaps of burning logs. Becoming red-hot in the middle, 
the heavy ends soon dropped, and bent and warped them 
out of all shape. The soldiers, moreover, seized them 
by the ends and wrapped them around trees and posts. 
For thirty miles the track was thus effectually broken 
up; and, to assure himself that the destruction was com- 
plete. General Jackson rode along the whole line. 

About this time, in writing to Mrs. Jackson, after 



262 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

mentioning several presents that he had received, he 
says,— 

" Our God makes me so many friends ! I mention 
these things in order that you may see how much kind- 
ness has been shown me, and to express thanks for 
blessings for which I should be more grateful, and to 
give you renewed cause for gratitude. . . . 

" Don't trouble yourself about representations that are 
made about me. These things are earthly and transitory. 
There are real and glorious blessings, I trust, in reserve 
for us beyond this life. It is best for us to keep our 
eyes fixed upon the throne of God, and the realities of a 
more glorious existence beyond the verge of time. It is 
gratifying to be beloved and to have our conduct ap- 
proved by our fellow-men ; but this is not worthy to be 
compared with the glory that is in reservation for us in 
the presence of the glorified Redeemer." 

About this time he had an interview with one of his 
officers with whom he was very intimate, which reveals 
more even than the above letter the strength and depth 
of his faith. After having transacted the business on 
which he had come, the officer was pressed very kindly 
by the general to resume his seat and spend a few min- 
utes with him, as the evening was dark and rainy and 
the camp unusually dull. The officer willingly assented, 
and the conversation soon turned on the subject of re- 
ligion. The general said, in reply to some remark of 
the officer, that a man was probably first moved to seek 
heavenly things both by fear and by love, but that as 
he was drawn into closer communion with his Lord and 
Saviour perfect love cast out fear. For his part, he 
continued, so perfect was his assurance of his own sal- 
vation through Christ, so secure was he in his trust in 



FREDERICKSB URG. 263 

Him, that he had no dread of the wrath of God, although 
he felt himself a great sinner, and love of God and 
Christ was now the motive which led him to a religious 
life. After this he rose, and, with great humility but 
solemn elation, said, — 

" ' Nothing earthly can mar my happiness. I know 
that heaven is in store for me, and I should rejoice in 
the prospect of going there to-morrow. Understand 
me : I am not sick ; I am not sad ; God has greatly 
blessed me, and I have as much to love here as any man, 
and life is very bright to me. But still I am ready to 
leave it any day, without trepidation or regret, for that 
heaven which I know awaits me through the mercy of 
my heavenly Father. And I would not agree to the 

slightest diminution of one shade of my glory there ^ 

(here he paused, as though to consider what terrestrial 
measure he might best select to express the largeness of 
his joys) — ^ no ; not for all the fame which I have 
acquired, or shall ever win in this world.' With these 
words he sank into his chair, and his friend retired, — 
awe-struck, as though he had seen tlie face of an ange]. 
But he did not fail to notice the revelation made of 
Jackson's master-passion by nature, in the object he had 
chosen to express the value of his heavenly inheritance. 
It was fame ! Not wealth, nor domestic joys, nor liter- 
ature, — but well-earned fame. Let the young aspirant 
consider, also, how even this passion, which the world 
calls the most honorable of all, was chastened and cru- 
cified in him by a nobler longing.'' * 

So flowed by the tranquil hours of relaxation spent 
by General Jackson in the lovely region of his beloved 

* Dabney's Life of Jackson, 



264 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

Valley of Virginia. But they were drawing rapidly to 
an end. His tent-pins were soon to be struck, and he 
to leave forever the country so dear to him, and to move 
to scenes which are now hallowed to every Southern 
heart as being those which witnessed the closing acts and 
the closing hours of his eventful, but, alas ! too brief 
career. 

The following extract from General Lee's report best 
describes the change in the position of the two armies: 

" The enemy seemed to be concentrating in and near 
Harper's Ferry, but made no forward movement. During 
this time the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was destroyed 
for several miles, and that from Winchester to Harper's 
Ferry broken up to within a short distance of the latter 
place, in order to render the occupation of the Valley by 
the enemy after our withdrawal more difficult. 

" On the 18th October, General Stuart was ordered to 
cross the Potomac above Williamsport with twelve or 
fifteen hundred cavalry, and endeavor to ascertain the 
position and designs of the enemy. He was directed, if 
practicable, to enter Pennsylvania, and do all in his 
power to impede and embarrass the military operations 
of the enemy. This order was executed with skill, ad- 
dress, and courage. General Stuart passed through 
Maryland, occupied Chambersburg, and destroyed a 
large amount of public property; making the entire 
circuit of General McClellan's army, he crossed the 
Potomac below Harper's Ferry without loss. 

" The enemy soon afterwards crossed the Potomac east 
of the Blue Bidge, and advanced southward, seizing the 
passes of the mountains as he progressed. General Jack- 
son's corps was ordered to take position on the road 
between Berryville and Charlestown, to be prepared to 



FREDERICKSBURG. 265 

oppose an advance from Harper's Ferry or a movement 
into the Shenandoah Valley from the east side of the 
mountains, while at the same time he would threaten 
the flank of the enemy should he continue his march 
along the eastern base of the Blue Ridge. One division 
of Longstreet's corps was sent to the vicinity of Upper- 
ville, to observe the enemy's movements in front. 

" About the last of October the Federal army began 
to incline easterly from the mountains, moving in the 
direction of Warrenton. As soon as this intention de- 
veloped itself, Longstreet's corps was moved across the 
Blue Ridge, and, about the 3d of November, took posi- 
tion at Culpeper Court-House, while Jackson advanced 
one of his divisions to the east side of the Blue Ridge. 

"The enemy gradually concentrated about Warrenton, 
his cavalry being thrown forward beyond the Rappa- 
hannock, in the direction of Culpeper Court-House, and 
occasionally skirmishing with our own, which was closely 
observing his movements. 

** This situation of affairs continued without material 
change until about the middle of November, when the 
movements began which resulted in the winter campaign 
on the Lower Rappahannock." 

About this time the Federal Government, having 
become thoroughly dissatisfied with McClellan, removed 
him from the chief command of their army, and thus 
relieved General Lee of the ablest general with whom 
he had to contend during the war. He was replaced 
by General Burnside, who was destined to hold his 
arduous position for but a brief time. 

I again quote from General Lee's report to carry on 
the description of the movements of both armies : 

"On the 15th of November it was known that the 
M 23 



266 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

enemy was in motion towards the Oranj^c and Alexan- 
dria Railroad, and one regiment of infantry, with a bat- 
tery of liglit artillery, wa^ sent to reinforce the garrison 
at Fredericksbnrg. On the 17th it was ascertained that 
Sumner's corj)s had marched from Catlett's Station in 
the direction of Falmouth (the town on the north side 
of the Rappahannock opposite Fredericksburg), and in- 
formation was also received that on the 15th some Fed- 
eral gun-boats and transports had entered Aquia Creek. 
This looked as if Fredericksburg was again to be occu- 
pied, and McLaws's and Ransom's divisions, accompanied 
by W. H. F. Lee's brigade of cavalry and Lane's bat- 
tery, were ordered to proceed to that city. To ascertain 
more fully the movements of the enemy, General Stuart 
was directed to cross the Rappahannock. On the morn- 
ing of the 18th he forced a passage at Warrenton Springs, 
in face of a regiment of cavalry and three pieces of 
artillery guarding the ford, and reached Warrenton soon 
after the last of the enemy's columns had left. The 
information he obtained confirmed the previous reports, 
and it was clear that the whole Federal army, under 
Major-General Burnside, Avas moving towards Fred- 
ericksburg. On the morning of the 19th, therefore, the 
remainder of Longstreet's corps was put in motion for 
that point. The advance of General Sumner reached 
Falmouth on the afternoon of the 17th, and attempted 
to cross the Rappahannock, but Avas driven back by 
Colonel Ball, with the 15th Virginia cavalry, four com- 
panies of Mississippi infantry, and Lewis's light battery. 
'' On the 21st it became apparent that General Burn- 
side was concentrating his whole army on tlie north side 
of the Rappalumnock. On the same day General Sum- 
ner summoned the corporate authorities of Fredericks- 



FREDERICKSBURG. 9(37 

burg to surrender the place by five p.m., and threatened, 
in case of refusal, to bombard the city at nine o'clock 
next morning. The weather had been tempestuous for 
two days, and a storm was raging at the time of the 
summons. It was impossible to prevent the execution 
of the threat to shell the city, as it was completely ex- 
posed to the batteries on the Stafford hills, which Avere 
beyond our reach. The city authorities were informed 
that, while our forces would not use the place for military 
purposes, its occupation by the enemy would be resisted, 
and directions were given for the removal of the women 
and children as rapidly as possible. The threatened 
l)ombardment did not take place; but, in view of the 
imminence of a collision between the two armies, the 
inhabitants were advised to leave the city, and almost 
the entire population, without a murmur, abandoned 
their homes. History presents no instance of a people 
exhibiting a purer and more unselfish patriotism, or a 
higher spirit of fortitude and courage, than was evinced 
by the citizens of Fredericksburg. They cheerfully in- 
curred great hardships and privations, and surrendered 
their homes and property to destruction rather than yield 
them into the hands of the enemies of their country. 
General Burnside now commenced his preparations to 
force the passage of the Rappahannock and advance 
upon Richmond. AVhen his army first began to move 
towards Fredericksburg, General Jackson, in pursuance 
o^ instructions, crossed the Blue Ridge, and placed his 
corps in the vicinity of Orange Court- Ho nse, to en- 
able him more promptly to co-operate with Longstreet. 
About the 26th of November he was directed to ad- 
vance towar Is Fiedericksburs:.'^ . . . 

Since early in August t'le Confederate army had 



2G8 ^Il^E OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

fought, besides minor engagements, the battles of Cedar 
Mountain, Manassas, and Sharpsburg, and had effected 
the capture of Harper's Ferry. During that time this 
army had made a circuit of over three hundred miles, 
and r.ow found itself once more facing a Federal army 
whose cry was still "On to Richmond!" from which 
place they were only sixty miles distant. So vast were 
the numbers and so complicated the machinery of war 
of the Federal army that it took six days to eifect the 
passage of the Potomac at Harper's Ferry, at the begin- 
ning of this new move on Richmond. 

General Jackson transferred his corps from Winches- 
ter to Fredericksburg in eight days, two of whicli were 
spent in resting the troops on the march. In spite of 
his strenuous exertions to perfect the equipment of his 
corps, many of his men were still without shoes, w^hich 
rendered the march over mountainous roads painful in 
the extreme. The naked feet, cut and stone-bruised, 
and in many cases cracked open, rendered marching 
impossible for many a poor soldier, who was thus com- 
pelled to fall from the ranks and be left behind, while 
the blood left in the tracks of those who pushed on 
showed with what pain and toil it was done. 

Longstreet, as we have seen, had gone before Jackson 
to Fredericksburg. His corps constituted the left of 
General Lee's line. Anderson's division rested upon 
the river at Fredericksburg, with those of McLaws, 
Pickett, and Hood extending to the right in the order 
named. General Ransom with his division had charge 
of ^larye's Hill, which was destined to be the object of 
the enemy's most furious assaults, though it was itself 
commanded by heights on each side, which the Confed- 
erates held. At the foot of Marye's Hill, behind a 



FREDERICKSB URG. 269 

stone wall, Cobb's brigade and the 24th North Carolina 
Regiment were stationed. 

" Jackson's corps formed the right of the Confederate 
line. Next to Hood, of Longstreet's corps, came A. 
P. Hill, of Jackson's. His first line,* consisting of the 
brigades of Pender, Lane, and Archer, occupied the edge 
of a wood. Lane's brigade, thrown forward in advance 
of the general line, held the woods which here projected 
into the open ground. Thomas's brigade was stationed 
behind the interval between Pender and Lane, and 
Gregg's behind that between Lane and Archer. On 
the right, on an eminence, General Jackson placed four- 
teen picked guns, under Colonel Walker. Early's and 
Taliaferro's divisions formed Jackson's second line, — 
D. H. Hill's his reserve. 

On the north side of the Rappahannock the Stafford 
Heiglits command the plain of Fredericksburg. On 
the south side of the river the low grounds below Fred- 
ericksburg spread out into a plain some miles in width, 
bounded by a range of low wooded hills, which ter- 
minate on the lower side in the low grounds of the 
Massaponax, a creek flowing into the Rappahannock, 
and on the upper side in a series of bluffs. The plain 
of Fredericksburg being completely commanded by the 
Stafford Heights, which were black with Federal artil- 
lery, no effectual opposition could be made by the Con- 
federates to the construction of bridges and the passage 
of the river, which was here very narrow. 

General Lee determined, therefore, to guard the river 
by a force merely sufficient to impede the enemy's ad- 
vance until his army could be concentrated. Before 
dawn on the 11th of December the Confederate signal- 
guns announced that the enemy was in motion, and 



270 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

the troops were instantly at their different posts and the 
whole army on the qui vive. The Federals had begun 
preparations to throw two bridges across the Rappahan- 
nock, — one opposite Fredericksburg, the other a mile 
below. The Confederates, sheltered in the cellars of 
houses overlooking the stream, and in trenches, repelled 
the repeated efforts of the enemy to lay his bridges from 
daybreak till four p.m., driving his working-parties back 
with great slaughter. At the lower point, the Confed- 
erates, not having the same protection, resisted the enemy 
until nearly noon, Avhen they were withdrawn, and by 
about one p.m. the bridge Avas completed. In a short 
time one hundred and fifty pieces of artillery from the 
opposite heights opened a furious fire upon the cit}', 
forcing the Confederates to retire from the river-bank 
at four P.M. They bravely resisted the advance of the 
enemy into ihe town until dark, and then were Avith- 
drawn. 

Throughout the night of the 11th and the day of 
the 12th the Federals crossed over in great numbers, 
took possession of the toAvn, and formed on the plain 
below; but a dense fog which overhung the scene hid 
their movements from view, and an occasional boom 
from their cannon alone gave token of their j^resence. 
The morning of Saturday, December 13, came, and with 
it the same dense fog as on the day before. The two 
armies, though invisible to each other, could hear dis- 
tinctly the sounds along their separate lines. As the 
hours of the morning advanced, it became apparent that 
the mist would soon roll away, and the different gen- 
erals went to their respective posts. On this day 
General Jackson rode forth from his head-quarters 
mounted on his favorite horse, — a large, powerfully- 



FREDERICKSBURG. 271 

built dun, — and clad in a new suit of uniform, wearing, 
for the first time since his promotion, the lieutenant- 
generaPs hat. He moved down his lines accompanied 
by his staff, and the group attracted the fire of the Fed- 
eral sharp-shooters. He pointed out to his staff the 
point in his line — Lane's position — which the enemy 
would first attack, as they in reality did, and then passed 
on to the summit of a commanding hill whence General 
Lee was watching the movements of the enemy on the 
plain below. Mr. Dabney, Jackson's biographer, thus 
describes the scene : 

" It was now past nine o'clock, and the sun, mounting 
up the eastern sky with almost a summer power, was 
rapidly exhaling the mist. As the white folds dissolved 
and rolled away, disclosing the whole plain to view, such 
a spectacle met the eyes of the generals as the pomps of 
earth can seldom rival. Marshaled upon the vast arena 
beneath them stood the hundred and twenty-five thou- 
sand foes, with countless batteries of field-guns black- 
ening the ground. Long triple lines of infantry crossed 
the field from right to left, and hid their western extreme 
in the streets of the little city ; while down the valleys 
descending from the Stafford Heights to the bridges 
were pouring in vast avalanches of men, the huge re- 
serves. For once, war unmasked its terrible proportions 
to the view with a distinctness hitherto unknown in the 
forest-clad landscapes of America; and the plain of 
Fredericksburg presented a panorama that was dreadful 
in its grandeur. . . . Lee stood upon his chosen hill of 
observation, inspiring every spectator by his calm hero- 
ism, with his two great lieutenants beside him, and re- 
viewed every quarter of the field with his glass. It 
was then that Longstreet, to whose sturdy breast the 



272 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

approach of battle seemed to bring gayety, said to Jack- 
son, ' General, do not all these multitudes of Federals 
frighten you?' He replied, ^ We shall see very soon 
whether I shall not frighten them.'" 

The generals soon parted to go to their posts, and the 
battle opened with a thunderous outburst from the three 
hundred guns on the opposing hills. Heaven and earth 
seemed to be at war with each other, so continuous was 
the boom of the cannon. A young Confederate officer 
engaged in the battle thus describes it in a letter written 
a few days after it was fought : 

" The whole battle-field was the most dramatic and 
imposing tableau I have ever witnessed ; and indeed the 
whole spectacle seemed gotten up for our special amuse- 
ment. The low grounds of the Rappahannock below 
Fredericksburg spread out into a plain of some miles in 
width, bounded by a range of low wooded hills, which 
terminate on the lower side in the Massaponax low 
grounds, and on the upper in a series of rather high and 
abrupt bluffs next to ihe river and above the town. At 
one point in this line of hills a wooded marsh projects 
far into the plain. 

" Imagine now this long line of wooded hills peopled 
with men who have inducements, physical or mental, to 
fight desperately ; every little promontory bristling with 
artillery ; the whole line of the railway (which runs at 
the foot of the hills) and every hedge-row and ditch 
gleaming with bayonets ; and you have what must have 
been the impressions of the Yankees of our position. 
Again, stand with me upon one of the same little prom- 
ontories and look out upon the Yankee lines, and see 
what we saw. Far upon the left the smoke from the 
smouldering ruins of the town and Longstreet's camp- 



FREDERICKSBURG. 273 

fires seem to blend together; while In front, and almost 
as far as the eye can reach to the right and left, you see 
*the blue-coated Federal lines extended, well armed, well 
equipped, and seemingly assured of success. Behind 
them the hills seem crowded with artillery, which can 
hurl Its missiles to the very foot of the hills upon which 
we stand. The word Is given to advance. How gal- 
lantly they come on ! Not a sound is heard from our 
side except the sharp cracking of our skirmishers as they 
fall back slowly before this overwhelming advance. The 
air seems alive with the whistling shot and shell which 
the enemy send as precursors to their infantry charge. 
Suddenly a battery (Walker's) of thirty guns, from just 
where we are standing, opens upon the column of attack. 
They falter, and reel, and stagger ; they rally, and break, 
and rally again ; but In vain : flesh and blood cannot 
stand it ; they retire routed and confused. At that mo- 
ment an officer gallops wildly up to General Jackson, 
and exclaims, in almost breathless haste, 'General, the 
enemy have broken through Archer's left, and General 
Gregg says he must have help, or he and General Archer 
will both lose their position.' The general turned as 
quietly round and ordered Early's division up to sup- 
port the centre as if nothing extraordinary had happened. 
Yet every one said afterwards that this was the turning- 
point of the day. In about an hour the footing which 
the enemy had gained In the wood was recovered from 
tliem by Trimble and Thomas, and they pursued far 
Into the plain. This was all I saw of the fight." 

So eager were the Confederate troops to pursue the 
retiring Federals that It was difficult to restrain them 
from rushing madly down to the banks of the Rappa- 
hannock Itself, and when recalled from the pursuit and 



274 I^JFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

ordered back to their original position, some of the men 
^vere vSeen actually to shed tears of bitter disappoint- 
ment. 

AMiile the enemy were so gallantly repulsed by Jack- 
son on the right, they dashed even more furiously against 
the unsliaken front presented by Longstreet's corps, only 
to meet, however, with an even more disastrous repulse, 
and as the shades of evening approached it was seen 
that another " On to Richmond !" had been most glo- 
riously defeated, and once more victory perched on the 
Confederate banners. 

During a lull in the battle, early in the action, General 
Jackson, wishing to get a good view of the enemy's 
position, rode to his extreme right, dismounted, and, fol- 
lowed by his aide, Mr. Smith, advanced on foot far out 
into the field. Suddenly a sharp-shooter rose out of the 
tall weeds at about two hundred yards from him, and, 
deliberately taking aim at him, fired. The ball whistled 
between the heads of the general and his aide, for they 
were standing only two paces apart. The general turned 
to Mr. Smith, and, with his face beaming with humor, 
said, smiling as he spoke, " Mr. Smith, had you not 
better go to the rear ? they may shoot you." 

As the last struggles of the battle were dying away, 
late in the afternoon. General Jackson was seen sitting 
silently on his horse, with his watch in hand, counting 
the minutes before the sun should set, and noting the 
effect of General Stuart's artillery fire upon the enemy. 
He was revolving in his mind an advance on the beaten 
foe. He chafed at seeing them hurled back battered 
and bruised and yet no effort made to follow up the vic- 
tory. At length his resolution was taken. He would 
follow up the day's work with a crushing blow. He 



FREDERICKSB URG. 275 

iostantly gave orders for every piece of artillery to be 
advanced to the front, and at sunset to move together 
across the plain, the infantry following in line of battle, 
and at the first sign of confusion caused in the enemy's 
lines by the cannonade, the infantry were to charge with 
fixed bayonets and sweep them into the river. Already 
the batteries had advanced and were opening fire, while 
the infantry were forming in their rear, when the gen- 
eral saw that his plan would be impracticable and must 
be abandoned. The different batteries could not act 
in concert, and the troops, jaded by the day's fighting, 
w^re not fresh enough to renew the action ; while the 
enemy's artillery still swept the field with a terrible fire. 
Reluctantly, therefore, he countermanded his orders, 
and the troops slept that night on their arms without 
further disturbance. 

In this battle General Lee had not quite twenty-five 
thousand men engaged, and his loss was a little over 
four thousand. The Federals acknowledged a loss of 
twelve thousand in killed and wounded, and one thou- 
sand prisoners. 

When the fatigues and duties of the day were finally 
over. General Jackson went to his tent. There he found 
his friend Colonel Boteler, who had rendered him such 
efficient aid in his campaign in the Valley in carrying 
his dispatches to the Government and there using every 
effort to have his demands and wishes for his depart- 
ment granted. He offered to share his pallet with the 
colonel, but did not retire himself until almost mid- 
nijht, being busily engaged in writing and sending dis- 
patches. He threw himself on his soldier's couch, all 
uniformed as he still was, and slept soundly for t^vo or 
three hours, when he rose, lighted his candle, and went 



276 ^^^^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

back to his writing. The liglit from the candle shone 
full in the face of Colonel Boteler, whom he supposed 
to be a.slecp, and, noticing this, he rose, and, with all the 
thoughtful ness of a woman, placed a book in front of the 
candle, so that his friend's face was shaded from its light. 
Jackson was much troubled at the condition of Gen- 
eral Gregg, who, lying in a house near by, was rapidly 
sinking from the effects of a mortal wound received in 
the battle of the previous day. No one appreciated 
better than Jackson the noble qualities, both as a man 
and as a soldier, of this gallant officer, and he felt his fall 
particularly, for high words had passed between them, 
and he did not wish the heroic Gregg to die thinking he 
had any but the kindest feelings towards him. After 
rising, as Ave have seen, from a few hours' rest, he sent 
for his surgeon, Dr. McGuire, and asked if nothing 
could be done for the dying man. Dr. McGuire replied 
that, though receiving every attention wdiich medical 
aid could give, he was beyond the reach of human skill ; 
but that if General Jackson wished him to take a mes- 
sage to him he would carry it. The general said he 
did not wish to send a message to him, but he would be 
very much obliged if the doctor would go and see how 
he w^as, and satisfy himself that he had everything he 
could desire. Dr. McGuire went at once to the, dving; 
man's bedside and told him that he had been sent by 
General Jackson to ask how he was. As he spoke, some 
one entered the room behind him. He looked up, and 
there in the doorway, in full uniform, stood the tall figure 
of General Jackson. Carried away -by his feelings, he 
had followed close on Dr. McGuire's footsteps, and en- 
tered, unannounced, the chamber of death. The dying 
soldier was sinking rapidly, but as in the storm of battle, 



FREDERICKSB URG. 277 

SO at the approach of death, his heroic spirit was un- 
shaken by fear, and he calmly awaited his end. Jackson 
took a touching farewell of him, and then, leaving the 
house, rode back with Dr. McGuIre. In silence to his 
tent. 

In ordering his horse to follow Dr. McGuire, the 
general had wished to mount the same horse which he 
had ridden the day before, but his servant, Jim, objected 
positively to the animal being ridden again so soon ; and, 
though the general was as positive In his wish to ride 
this horse, Jim succeeded In mounting him, in spite of 
himself, and much to his amusement, on another. 

So easily had the Federal army been repulsed that the 
Confederate generals expected a renewal of the attack on 
the next day ; but, though they could see the Federal 
line drawn up In battle-array on the plain below, they 
waited In vain for their advance. Their general-in- 
chlef, Burnside, Indeed, wished to renew the attack; 
but this was so violently opposed by his three lead- 
ing generals that he had to abandon all thought of 
doing so. 

On Monday, the 15th, a flag of truce was sent by the 
Federals, asking a few hours' truce between their left and 
the Confederate right, that they might take care of their 
wounded, many of whom had been lying on the frozen 
ground since the day of the battle. The note asking for 
the truce being signed by a subordinate general, General 
Jackson refused to grant It unless the demand came 
authorized by Burnside, that he might not, as McClellan 
had done at Sharpsburg, deny having asked for a truce 
after having received and enjoyed the benefits of one. 
The demand soon coming back with the proper authority, 
it was granted, and then men and officers of the two 

24 



278 ^^^^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

armies mingled together and discussed amicably the 
scenes of the late battle. 

The Confederates now became more and more im- 
patient for the advance of the Federals, and the diiferent 
commands Avere eager to be ordered to the front that they 
might be ready to meet them. Indeed, so great was the 
enthusiasm among the troops that D. H. Hill's division, 
whose turn it was to be relieved from duty on the 15th, 
sent a written request to General Jackson to be allowed 
to remain on the front another night, that they might be 
ready to meet the enemy in the morning. The request 
was granted, and the morning came ; but at their feet 
lay the plain without a foe, and the town of Fredericks- 
burg abandoned by the enemy, while their regiments 
were seen once more blackening the Stafford Heights 
and lying there in security. During the darkness of 
the night, while a fierce storm was raging, they had 
abandoned their lines and stolen away across the river. 
Their retreat was managed with great skill and secrecy, 
— so silently, indeed, that not one of the hundreds of 
Confederate sentinels who were on duty that night was 
aware that there was any unusual move going on along 
the enemy's lines. Dead men with muskets in their 
hands were propped up to occupy the vacancies left by 
the sentinels, to whom the orders for withdrawal were 
given in whispers by officers who moved from post to 
post. In such perfect silence did they march through 
the streets of Fredericksburg that the citizens in their 
houses did not know what was going on in the streets. 
A few who opened their doors, candles in hand, to see 
what was the cause of the muffled sounds outside, Avere 
amazed to see the army Avhich had so lately passed 
through their streets in all the pomp and pride of war, 



FREDERICKSBURG. 279 

now hurrying along, a bedraggled procession, to reach 
the banks of the river and cross it in safety. So fearful 
were they of pursuit that the sight of the citizens stand- 
ing in their doors with candles in hand alarmed them, 
and instantly the command, '' Put out that light ! put 
out that light !" was whispered by a hundred voices. 
In their feverish impatience, some of the officers sprang 
from their ranks, and, rushing forward, snatched away the 
candles and pushed the citizens back into their houses. 

Thus again the fruits of victory slipped from the 
hands of the Confederates. The town was found to be 
greatly battered and defaced, but not seriously injured, 
by the bombardment, and the number of buildings de- 
stroyed by it was small. But the pillage committed by 
the Federal soldiers during the two days which they 
occupied the city was fearful. Private houses were 
sacked and private property destroyed in the most 
wanton manner. Handsomely-furnished houses were, 
under the hands of the licensed soldiers, speedily dis- 
gorged of their contents ; mirrors were hurled out upon 
the pavements ; pianos, wardrobes, and other costly pieces 
of furniture were cut to pieces with axes; while the 
handsomely-bound volumes which filled the shelves of 
the libraries were heaped into baskets and thrown into 
the river. 

With the battle of Fredericksburg ended the arduous 
and, to the Confederates, glorious campaign of 1862. 
Both armies noAV prepared to go into winter quarters, 
the Federals on the northern, and the Confederates on 
the southern, bank of the Rappahannock. Burnside 
paid for his defeat by the loss of his position as com- 
mander-in-chief of the Federal army, and was soon 
replaced by General Hooker. 



CHAPTER Xy. 

WINTEE QUARTERS, 1863. 

After the battle of Fredericksburg there was no 
clanger of another advance of the enemy for some months 
to come. With this battle had closed the campaign of 
1862, which had been so glorious for the Confederates, 
so disastrous for the Federals. General Lee spent the 
interval of rest which followed in perfecting the disci- 
pline of his army, and in taking steps to diminish the 
number of desertions from its ranks. As far as possible 
he had his brave soldiers re-clothed and re-equipped. 
Resting upon their dearly-won laurels at the close of a 
brilliant and arduous campaign, the Confederate soldiers 
found enjoyment even in camp-life in the comfortable 
winter quarters with which their ever-watchful chief 
had provided them. The rigor of the winter prevented 
the enemy from making any move serious enough to 
call them from their encampment. The monotony of 
camp-life Avas occasionally broken after a fall of snow 
by mock battles between the different regiments, and 
even brigades, of the same corps. They attacked one 
another's camps with snow-balls, and fought like school- 
boys, in companies and regiments, led on by their regular 
officers. On one such occasion an officer commanding a 
regiment, and not engaged in the sport, which he was 
watching, saw an aide galloping towards him at full 
speed, and the next moment was greeted by him with 
280 



WINTER QUARTERS, 18G3. 281 

the words, " Colonel, to the rescue ! Regiment has 

surprised and captured our camp ! Camp-kettles and 
frying-pans are all lost ! The officer in command calls 
for reinforcements!" It is needless to say that the col- 
onel responded to the call in the spirit in which it was 
made, and, ordering out his officers and men, they were 
all soon engaged in the snow-ball fight with the wild 
spirits of school-boys, and gallantly recovered for their 
sorely-pressed comrades the captured kettles and frying- 
pans. 

Thus merrily for the soldiers the hours of camp-life 
passed by. To the commanding general they brought, as 
we have seen, duties which were as faithfully discharged 
as those of the campaign and field of battle. 

To General Jackson, too, this season of repose offi:ired 
an opportunity, which he eagerly seized, of perfecting 
the discipline of his own command. The winter quar- 
ters for his troops extended from near Guinea's Station 
towards Port Royal. Moss Neck, the residence of Mr. 
Corbin, and situated in the midst of his troops, half-way 
between Fredericksburg and Port Royal, was offiired to 
him for his headquarters, and, after a few days' hesita- 
tion, accepted. But he declined to have rooms in the 
house, for fear of inconveniencing the hospitable family 
occupying it, and accepted in its stead the use of a cot- 
tage on the edge of the lawn. The room on the first 
floor he occupied as his office, and in the second story 
his military bed was spread. Near the cottage, which 
had been used as a hunting- lodge, a large tent was 
pitched, and served as a dining-room for his military 
family. 

General Jackson's first labor, after seeing that his troops 
were all comfortably lodged for the winter in huts built 

24- 



282 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

by themselves, was to write the reports of his battles, 
whieh he had been unable to do during the hurry and 
fatigues of his arduous campaigns and rapid marches. 
Tliese reports are written in the calm, simple, soldier- 
like style of a great captain who needs not words, but 
the simple statement of facts, to perpetuate his own glory 
and that of the brave men he so skillfully led. Not a 
word of exaggeration, not the least deviation from truth, 
can be detected in them. He had just finished the re- 
port of his last battle when he was called to take the 
field in the execution of the most brilliant move, per- 
haps, of his marvelous career, whence he rose to report 
in heavenly spheres to the Captain of Hosts. 

One of the first evils which he endeavored to correct 
in his corps was that of absence from the army without 
leave. This prevailed to an alarming extent, as may 
be seen from the fact that one of his brigades reported 
twelve hundred absentees! He urged that the Com- 
mittee on INIilitary Affairs should take some steps to put 
a stop to this evil. 

So rigid was he in adherence to duty that he never 
once left his command during the war. Towards the 
close of this year he was made happy by the birth of a 
little daughter. But not even the temptation of meeting 
Mrs. Jackson and the dear little stranger at the house 
of a friend could induce him to ask for a furlough. We 
find him writing to Mrs. Jackson, about this time as 
follows : 

"Christmas, 1862. 

" I do earnestly pray for peace. Oh that our country 
was such a Christian, God-fearing people as it should 
be ! Then might we very speedily look for peace. 

" It appears to me that it is better for me to remain 



WINTE.^ QUARTERS, 18G3. 283 

with my command so long as the war conthiues, if our 
ever-gracious heavenly Father permits. The army suf- 
fers immensely by absentees. If all our troops, officers 
and men, Avere at their posts, we might, through God's 
blessing, expect a more speedy termination of the war. 
The temporal affairs of some are so deranged as to make 
a strong plea for their returning home for a short time; 
but our God has greatly blessed me and mine during my 
absence ; and whilst it would be a great comfort to see 
you and our darling little daughter, and others in whom 
I take special interest, yet duty appears to require me to 
remain Avith my command. It is important that those 
at headquarters set an example by remaining at the post 
of duty. 

"Dr. writes, ^Our little prayer-meeting is still 

meeting daily to pray for our army and leaders.' This 
prayer-meeting may be the means of accomplishing more 
than an army. I wish that such existed everywhere. 
How it does cheer my heart to hear of God's people 
praying for our cause, and for me ! I greatly j)rize the 
prayers of the pious." 

With the new year came the news of the occupation 
again of Winchester by the Federals. The following 
extract from a letter written to his friend Colonel Bote- 
ler, January 21, 1863, will show the deep interest which 
he took in the Valley and its inhabitants : 

" Though I have been relieved from command there, 
and may never again be assigned to that important trust, 
yet I feel deeply when I see the patriotic people of that 
region again under the heel of a hateful military despot- 
ism. There are all the homes of those who have been 
with me from the commencement of the war in Virginia ; 



284 I'JFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

who have repeatedly left their families and property in 
the hands of the enemy, and braved the dangers of 
battle and disease; and there are those who have so 
devotedly labored for the relief of our suffering sick and 
wounded." 

And again, in another letter to the same gentleman, 
he says, — 

^' It is but natural that I should feel a deep and abiding 
interest in the people of the Valley, where are the homes 
of so many of my brave soldiers who have been with 
me so long, and whose self-sacrificing patriotism has 
been so long tested." 

But though his interest in the Valley, which had been 
the scene of his brilliant campaigns, was unflagging, yet 
he felt the relief of not having the responsibility of a 
separate command, and it was observed that he was much 
freer from care and in much brighter spirits than he had 
been wlien at the head of a separate army. 

His reputation attracted many, both of the curious 
and the patriotic, to visit him, and his countrymen were 
enthusiastic in their love and admiration for him. For- 
eigners visiting the Confederacy were always anxious to 
see the great soldier whose short but brilliant career had 
invested his name with such a charm for both friend and 
foe. His visitors always received a courteous welcome 
from him. They found him a tall, soldierly-looking 
man, a little grave, perhaps, in his address, but polite 
and affable, and dispensing with quiet ease and dignity 
the hospitalities of his plain, soldier's lodgings. He 
showed great anxiety to contribute to his guests' comfort, 
and not the smallest thing which could add to it escaped 
his attention. He always enjoyed a jest, and for this 
reason found great pleasure in the visits of his comrade- 



WINTER QUARTERS, 1863. 285 

in-arms, General J. E. B. Stuart, whose bright, happy 
temper and unchanguig flow of spirits carried mirth 
wherever he went. 

An Englishman who visited Jackson at this time 
wrote of his visit as follows : 

" I brought from Nassau a box of goods for General 
Stonewall Jackson, and he asked me when I was at Rich- 
mond to come to his camp and see him. I left the city 
one morning about seven o'clock, and about ten landed 
at a station distant some eight or nine miles from Jack- 
son's, or, as his men call him, ' Old Jack's' camp. A 
heavy fall of snow had covered the country for some 
time before to the depth of a foot, and formed a crust 
over the Virginia mud, which is quite as villainous as 
that of Balaklava. The day before had been mild and 
wet, and my journey was made In a drenching shower, 
which soon cleared away the white mantle of snow. 
You cannot imagine the Slough of Despond I had to 
pass through. Wet to the skin, I stumbled through 
mud, I waded through creeks, I passed through pine 
woods, and at last got into camp about two o'clock. I 
then made my way to a small house occupied by the 
general as his headquarters. I wrote down my name 
and gave it to the orderly, and I was immediately told 
to walk in. 

" The general rose and greeted me warmly. I ex- 
pected to see an old untidy man, and was most agree- 
ably surprised and pleased with his appearance. He is 
tall, handsome, and powerfully built, but thin. He has 
brown hair and a brown beard. His mouth expresses 
great determination. The lips are thin and compressed 
firmly together; his eyes are blue and dark, with keen 
and searching expression. I was told that his age was 



286 I^^FE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

thirty-eight; and he looks about forty. The general, 
who is indescribably simple and unaffected in all his 
ways, took oif my Svet overcoat with his own hands, 
made up the fire, brought wood for me to put my feet 
on to keep them warm while my boots were drying, and 
then began to ask me questions on various subjects. At 
the dinner-hour we went out and joined the members of 
his statf. At this meal the general said grace in a fer- 
vent, quiet manner, which struck me much. After din- 
ner I returned to his room, and he again talked for a 
lono; time. The servant came in and took his mattress 
out of a cupboard and laid it on the floor. 

"As I rose to retire, the general said, ^Captain, there 
is plenty of room on my bed ; I hope you will share it 
with me.' I thanked him very much for his courtesy, 
but said, ^ Good-night,' and slept in a tent, sharing the 
blankets of one of his aides-de-camp. In the morning, 
at breakfast-time, I noticed that the general said grace 
before the meal with the same fervor I had remarked 
before. An hour or two afterwards it was time for me 
to return to the station ; on this occasion, however, I had 
a horse, and I returned up to the general's headquarters 
to bid him adieu. His little room was vacant, so I 
stepped in and stood before the fire. I then noticed my 
great-coat stretched before it on a chair. Shortly after- 
ward the general entered the room. He said, ^ Captain, 
I have been trying to dry your great-coat, but I am 
afraid I have not succeeded very well.' That little act 
illustrates the man's character. With the care and re- 
sponsibilities of a vast army on his shoulders, he finds 
time to do little acts of kindness and thoughtfulness 
w^hicli make him the darling of his men, who never seem 
to tire talking of him. 



WINTER QUARTERS, 1863. 287 

" General Jackson is a man of great endurance ; he 
drinks nothing stronger than water, and never uses 
tobacco or any stimulant. He has been known to ride 
for three days and nights at a time, and if there is any 
labor to be undergone he never fails to take his share 
of it/^ 

General Jackson found himself so situated in his head- 
quarters at INIoss Neck that he could indulge the domes- 
tic tastes of his nature, and particularly his fondness 
for children, in a way which he had not done since he 
had left his quiet little home in Lexington. The chil- 
dren in Mr. Corbin's family soon became his pets, and 
on one of them particularly, little Jane Corbin, he 
lavished his attentions and caresses. The child — who 
was only six years old — soon became such a pet that the 
general begged her mother to send her to him every 
evening after the labors of the day were ended, and thus 
his hours of relaxation were spent in playing with this 
fair young child. They romped, played, or talked 
together, and often the general's laughter was heard 
mingled with that of the little girl. Whenever she 
went to him she found him with some little present 
ready for her, — a cake, an orange, a bit of candy, or a 
toy. One evening she arrived, and he had no present 
ready for her. While looking around to see what his 
scanty quarters contained that he might offer her, the 
gilt band on a new cap which Mrs. Jackson had just 
sent him caught his eye. With his knife he ripped it 
off, and, placing it around her head, said, as he stood 
off and admired her, '' This shall be your coronet !" 

Thus the great captain, whose fame was now wafted 
upon every gale, danced this little girl upon his knee, 
while unconsciously the sands of both were running low, 



288 LIFE OF GEXERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

for just before he went into that battle from which he 
Avas to return to die, she fell a victim to scarlet fever, 
and passed to the realms of the blessed, too soon to be 
joined by her loving hero. The gilt band with which 
he had crowned her young head is now prized by her 
widowed mother as a memento alike of her child and of 
her country's great soldier. 

From the letters which he wrote during the winter to 
Mrs. Jackson I make the following extracts : 

" Our ever-gracious heavenly Father is exceedingly 
kind to me, and strikingly manifests it by the kindness 
with which He disposes people to treat me.'^ (After 
mentioning a number of presents which he had received, 
he says,) " And so God, my exceeding great joy, is con- 
tinually showering his blessings upon me, an unworthy 
creature. 

" I hope to have the privilege of joining in prayer for 
peace at the time you name, and hope that all our Chris- 
tian people will ; but peace should not be the chief object 
of prayer in our country. It should aim more specially 
at imploring God's forgiveness of our sins, and praying 
that He will make our peoi)le a holy people. If we are 
but his, all things shall work together for the good of 
our country, and no good thing will He withhold from 
it.^^ ... 

" If I know my unworthy self, my desire is to live 
entirely and unreservedly to God's glory. Pray that I 
may so live." . . . 

"January 17, 1863. 

^^ I derive an additional pleasure in reading a letter, 
resulting from a conviction that it has not been traveling 
on the Sabbath. How delightful will be our heavenly 
home, where everything is sanctified !" 



WINTER QUARTERS, 1863. 289 

•' January 22. 

" I reoret to see our Winchester friends aojain in tlie 
hands of the enemy. I trust that, in answer to prayer, 
our country will soon be blessed with peace." . . . 

" Our heavenly Father is continually blessing me with 
presents. He withholds no good thing from me." 

" February 3. 
'' I trust that in answ^er to the prayers of GodJs people 
He will soon give us peace. I haven't seen my wife for 
nearly a year, and my home for nearly two years ; and I 
never have seen my sweet little daughter. . . . My old 
brigade has built a log church ; as yet I have not been 
in it.'*' 



After an allusion to some presents which he had re- 
ceived from London, he says, — 

"Our ever-kind heavenly Father gives me friends 
among strangers. He is the source of every blessing, 
and I desire to be more grateful to Him. 

" To-morrow is the Sabbath. My Sabbaths are looked 
forward to with pleasure. I don't know that I ever 
enjoyed Sabbaths as I do this winter. I do hope, trust, 
and pray that our people will religiously observe the 
27th day of next month as a day of humiliation, prayer, 
and fasting, as the President has designated in his pro- 
clamation." 

General Jackson interested himself greatly this winter 
in getting chaplains for regiments which had none, and 
also in trying to arouse more zeal in those chaplains who 
were with the army, for while there were many who 
stood to their posts like n:en, and faithfully discharged 
their duty, there were others who often shirked it, and 
N 25 



290 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

frequently left the army without sufficient cause. At 
his invitation, a Presbyterian clergyman, IMr. Lacy, be- 
came General Jackson's cha|)lain, and came to his head- 
quarters the 1st cf March. About the middle of this 
month General Jackson moved his quarters to Hamil- 
ton's Crossing, near which place the chaplain preached 
in an open field every Sunday. A rude pul^jit had been 
there prepared for him, and around it seats were placed. 
Here every Sunday General Jackson came to attend 
worship, and here, too, was often seen the majestic 
figure of General Lee. Other distinguished generals 
and officers in the Confederate army soon followed their 
example, until from a few hundred the number of these 
worshipers in the open air was swelled to thousands. 
There the private's plain gray jacket was seen beside the 
brilliant staff uniform of a major- or lieutenant-general, 
— all ranks being leveled while adoring the great Father 
of all. 

General Jackson established the custom in his corps 
of having a weekly meeting of the chaplains to consult 
over their duties and report the progress of the good 
w^ork they were engaged in. Whenever his chaplain 
returned from one of these meetings, the general would 
summon him to his |)resence, and greet him, as he entered, 
w^ith the words, " Now come and report." He listened 
wath the deepest interest, and often Avith tears in his 
eyes, to the account of the interest in religion w^hich the 
men in the army showed. 

The soldiers soon began to erect log chapels in which 
these services were held. The Stonewall Brigade first 
built such a chapel, and its example was soon followed 
by others. In these rude little chapels prayer-meetings 
were held during the week ; here the men were taught, 



WINTER qUARTER'<, 18G3. 291 

ill the weary hours of camp-life, to study the Bible, and 
here they frequently met to sing hymns. The chapel 
of the Stonewall Brigade being near liis quarters, Gen- 
eral Jackson often went to attend the services held there. 
On such occasions, taking his seat among his war-worn 
veterans, he would refuse to sit higher up in the little 
chapel, insisting that the men should crowd around him 
as they did around one another in their eagerness to hear 
the preacher's words. 

After establishing his headquarters at Hamilton's 
Crossing, he had prayers with his mess every morning, 
conducting these himself when his chaplain was not 
present. The members of his staff knew too well how 
much pleasure their attendance on such occasions gave 
him for any of them to be often absent. At his head- 
quarters also a prayer-meeting was held every Wednes- 
day and Sunday night. Several members of his staff, 
being fond of sa-cred music, gratified him by singing 
hymns on Sunday afternoons, and often he would say, as 
they were ceasing, " Now let us have the hymn, — 

" ' How happy are they 

Who their Saviour obey.' " 

Just before moving to Hamilton's Crossing, he wrote 

to Mrs. Jackson as follows : 

"March 14, 18G3. 

" The time is about come for campaigning, and I hope 
early next week to leave my room and go into a tent 
near Hamilton's Crossing, which is on the railroad, about 
five miles from Fredericksburg. It is rather a relief to 
get where there will be less comfort than in a room ; as 
I hope thereby persons will be prevented from encroach- 
ing so much on my time. I am greatly behind in my 



292 ^-'^•'^' OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

reports, and am very desirous of getting through with 
them I efore another campaign commences/' 

To a cousin he wrote on the 2d of April, — 

" I have a daughter, and have named her Julia, after 
mother. I don't suppose you have any recollection of 
mother, as she has been dead nearly thirty years. In 
the summer of 1855 I visited her grave in Fayette 
County. My wife and daughter are staying in North 
Carolina. 

" I hope that you are a Christian : there is no happi- 
ness like that experienced by a child of God." 

About the middle of April his heart Avas gladdened 
by a visit from the wife whom he had not seen for nearly 
a year, and the "sweet little daughter" whom he had 
never seen, and for whom his heart was filled with such 
tender yearnings. Mrs. Jackson, who had been awaiting 
in Richmond his permission to visit him, at length re- 
ceived the joyful summons to do so. A cold rain was 
falling as the train neared Hamilton's Crossing. It had 
scarcely come to a stand-still when, quietly entering and 
moving through the crowd assembled at the door, was 
seen the tall, commanding figure of General Jackson. 
Cap and cape were both dripping with the rain through 
which he had ridden. His eager eye soon found the 
mother and child whom he was so fondly expecting, and 
in a second he was beside them. The child he had ex- 
pected to find a frail, delicate little fledgling; for more 
than once since its birth he had been made anxious by 
hearing of its sickness, and the mother, as if to prepare 
a surprise for him, had refrained from telling him into 
what a rosy cherub she had bloomed. His delight and 
admiration, then, knew no bounds when she looked up at 



WINTER qUARTEBS, 1863. 293 

liim with the fresh and bright countenance which infants 
wear when just awakened, as she then was, from a long 
and refreshing slumber. An eye-witness says it would 
be impossible to imagine a picture of greater delight than 
he presented as he gazed in astonishment and admiration 
at her, but fearing to take her in his wet but loving 
arms. 

" His first care, after the accustomed salutation, was to 
get the mother and child safely through the crowd and 
rain into the carriage which was to convey them to their 
temporary home (a gentleman's house near Hamilton's 
Crossing). Arrived there, he divested himself of his 
wet overcoat, and, taking his baby in his arms, caressed 
it with tender delight, exclaiming upon its beauty and 
size. Henceforth his chief pleasure was in caressing 
her, and he was several times seen, while she was sleep- 
ing, kneeling long over her cradle, watching her with a 
face beaming with admiration and happiness." * 

But, though his devotion for the little one knew no 
bounds, yet, with the true soldier's ideas of discipline, he 
had no notion of her escaping her share of military re- 
straint. Of this we have ample proof in the following 
amusing and characteristic incident, which I have from 
the child's mother. 

Being one day present when the child was having — as 
infants so often do — -a fit of passionate crying, he looked 
on in amazement at its being considered by both nurse 
and mother as one of the ills of babyhood, for which 
there was no remedy, and which was to be regarded as 
a matter of course. The child had begun to scream be- 
cause it wished to be taken from the bed on which it 



*Dabney's Life of Jackson. 

2o* 



294 I^JFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

was lyino;, and once under way it continued to cry. The 
astonished general watched the scene in silence for a few 
minutes, and then, rising, said, in a quick, rather annoyed 
tone, ^^Oh, this will never do!" and, taking the child, 
laid her back on the bed, and would not take her up 
until she ceased crying. If she began again on being 
taken up, he placed her back on the bed, where she re- 
mained until again quiet. And thus, when only five 
months old, the little Julia was taught her first lesson in 
self-control, and for the first and last time was the object 
of paternal discipline. What a picture this offers us! 
The great captain, whose thoughts and time were devoted 
to the discipline and guidance of thousands of gallant 
soldiers, stooping in the midst of his cares and resjwnsi- 
bilities to train an infant a few months old! 

It w^as during these happy days, when he was enjoy- 
ing this visit from his wife and child, that he sat for the 
last picture which was taken of him. The photographer 
came and asked permission to take his picture. He at 
first objected, but, the artist pressing his request, and 
Mrs. Jackson urging him to grant it, he at length yielded. 
Mrs. Jackson hastily smoothed his hair Avhile t' e artist 
placed his instrument in position in the hall of thi house 
where they Avere staying, and the result was the fine 
three-quarters face and head with whose classic outlines 
every Southerner is now so familiar, and Avhich adorns 
the walls alike of the cottage and of the palace, of friend 
and of foe. A stream of light falling on the general's 
face during this sitting caused a slight contraction of the 
brow, which gives to the picture a rather sterner look 
than was natural to him. 

The general's devotion to his child was remarked upon 
by all who saw them together, and an officer's wife who 



WINTER QUARTERS, 1863. 295 

saw him often during this time, in a letter to a friend 
in Richmond, says, '' The general spends all his leisure 
in playing with the baby/^ 

But these last happy, peaceful days were rapidly pass- 
ing away. The hour w^as near when the warrior was to 
leave the caresses of his infant daughter to rush into 
battle and for the last time lead his gallant little baud 
to victory. It was the giant's last struggle; but, as he 
fell, the evening breeze bore the shouts of victory to his 
ears, which — alas for his country ! — were so soon to be 
filled with the sweeter strains of celestial music. 



CHAPTER Xyi. 



CHANCELLORSVILLE. 



With the first warm days of early spring the enemy 
began to move in his winter camps and fortifications, 
and the Confederate leaders knew that the Federal gen- 
eral would soon lead his powerful army across the Rap- 
pahannock, to repeat the oft-renewed attempt to break 
through the Confederate lines and march on to Rich- 
mond. 

Ever since the battle of Fredericksburg, a thorough 
system of scouts had enabled General Lee to know, in 
a few hours after its occurrence, every change in the 
Federal army. Moreover, the alphabet of the Federal 
signals having been discovered, the Confederate signal- 
officers could read every order and message sent from 
the Federal general's headquarters, and near General 
Lee's headquarters at Moss Neck a signal-party was 
kept constantly on duty to take down the messages 
transmitted through a signal-station on the other side 
of the river. 

How well General Lee employed the inactivity of the 
winter months to get his army in fine fighting order for 
the spring campaign is seen from the following extract ; * 

*This is taken from "The Battle-Fields of Virginia— Chan- 
cellorsville," a most valuable and interesting historical tract, by 
two able oflBcers of the Army of Northern Virginia, Captain 
29G 



CHAXCELLORSVILLE. 297 

" A long interval of quiet now intervened. For more 
than two months the condition of the roads rendered 
any important movement impracticable. Both leaders 
devoted this time to improving the discipline, perfect- 
ing the organization, and filling up the ranks of their 
armies. Lee addressed himself assiduously to his task. 
His attention was first turned to supplies and equipment. 
All the available means for the purpose were put into 
requisition. Agents were sent out through the country 
drained by his army, and, in conjunction with the authori- 
ties at Eichmond, gathered supplies in every quarter. 
These were collected at various depots convenient to his 
troops. And when the usual method of procuring sup- 
plies by purchase and the tithe failed, General Lee issued 
an appeal to the people, which soon filled his commissa- 
riat. The reserve artillery and all the surplus transpor- 
tation of the army were sent to the rear, where it was 
more easy to forage them. The arsenals at Richmond 
were kept constantly at work to re-equip his army and 
arm the men coming in. Much of his field-artillery was 
replaced by new and improved guns. Careful attention 
was bestowed upon discipline. Many regulations were 
introduced to promote that system and order which is 
the life of armies. When the weather permitted, the 
troops were constantly engaged in field exercises. Prompt 
measures were taken to prevent desertion, and those who 
had deserted were brought back in large numbers. The 
number of absentees from various causes was very great 
in the beginning of the year. By the spring it was re- 



Hotchkis.-, late Topographical Engineer of the Second Corps, and 
Colonel William Allan, late Lieutenant-Colonel and Chief of Ord- 
nance of the Second' Corps. 



298 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

duced more than half. The Conscription Act, now fairly 
put into operation, increased the strength of the army- 
daily. Jackson's corps grew in three months from 
twenty-five to thirty-three thousand muskets. . . . 

" The splendid morale of this army did not need 
improvement, but it enabled it to bear without injury 
the privations and hardships of the winter. Insufficient 
clothing and scanty rations produced no effect upon it. 
When the spring opened. General Lee found himself at 
the head of an army unsurpassed in discipline, and all 
the hardy virtues of the soldier, strengthened by the 
additions of the winter, reinvigorated by the compact- 
ness and order which had been given to its organization, 
with an enthusiasm acquired by a long series of vic- 
tories, and ready to add to that series a triumph more 
remarkable and illustrious than any of its predecessors." 

The Federal general was equally assiduous during this 
period of rest in re-organizing and disciplining his army. 
Its condition when General Hooker took command may 
be easily imagined from the fact that he found absent 
nearly three thousand commissioned officers, and over 
eighty thousand non-commissioned officers and privates. 
He saw at once the need of an effective cavalry force, 
and succeeded in having one organized. To try their 
mettle, a cavalry division, under General Averill, was 
sent to cross the Rappahannock at Kelly's Ford on 
INIarch 17. They there found a small Confederate picket 
of twenty men, which they easily drove in, and, crossing 
the river in safety, moved on in the direction of Culpeper 
Court-House. General Fitz-Hugh Lee, who was near 
the railroad bridge with the greater part of his brigade, 
marched to meet the advancing column. He came up 
with General Averill a mile from the foi*d. A sliarp and 



CHANCELLORSVILLE. 299 

severely-contested struggle followed, in which, owing 
chiefly to the skillful handling of the artillery under 
that accomplished young officer Major Pelham, the Con- 
federates were victorious, and the Federals withdrew and 
re-crossed the river. In this fight fell young Pelham, 
deplored alike by his comrades-in-arms and his country. 
In history he will live under the title of " the gallant 
Pelham," given him by General Lee after the battle of 
Fredericksburg, while by his countrymen he will be ever 
remembered with the tender love and gratitude which 
made them give him, while living, the appellation of 
" the boy hero.'' 

After the fight at Kelly's Ford, no further demon- 
stration was made by the Federals until the great strug- 
gle around Chancellorsville, with which they opened the 
campaign. General Lee, knowing early in April that 
Hooker was ready and anxious to move, hurried up his 
preparations to meet him. 

So stood matters on the eve of the opening of the 
campaign. Both sides were braced up for the struggle. 
and both were eager for it to begin. The Federal army 
numbered one hundred and twenty-three thousand men 
and four hundred pieces of artillery ; the Confederate 
army, one hundred and seventy p'eces of artillery and 
fifty-eight thousand men, being decreased in numbers 
about one-fourth by the absence of Longstreet with two 
of his divisions, he having been sent to Suffolk. 

General Jackson grew more impatient for the hour of 
combat to come as the time for it drew near. On one 
occasion, after listening to an account given by one of 
his officers of the gigantic scale of the enemy's prepara- 
tions for the coming campaign, and of the eagerness of 
the Confederate soldiers for it to begin, he sprang to his 



300 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

feet, and, showing more excitement than was his wont, 
exclaimed, " I wish the enemy would come on !" Then, 
raising his eyes to heaven, he said, in a subdued tone, 
" My trust is in God." 

In speaking of the campaign, he would say that the 
Confederates ought to make it a very active one ; that it 
was only in that way that they could make up for their 
want of strength ; and he would add that Napoleon 
never waited for his adversary to become fully prepared, 
but struck him the first blow. 

Early on the morning of the 29th of April an officer 
came to the house where the general was staying, and 
asked for him. The general, on being aroused, said, as 
he Avas preparing to go down, " That sounds as if some- 
thing stirring were afoot." In a few minutes he re- 
turned, and told ^Mrs. Jackson that General Early had 
sent his adjutant to inform him that Hooker was crossing 
the river in force. He then told her that they were on 
the eve of great events, and he would have to go at once 
and watch the enemy's movements ; if they were threat- 
ening, the house where she then was would be no place 
for herself and child, and she must be prepared to leave 
for Richmond should he send word to her to do so. If 
possible, he would come back and see her oif; but 
if he could not do this, he would send one of his aides. 
Fearing that he might not be able to return, he bade her 
and the little Julia adieu, and, mounting his horse, rode 
to the front. Finding on his arrival there that he could 
not return to Mrs. Jackson, he sent her brother, his aide. 
Lieutenant Morrison, to take her to Guinea's Station, 
where she would leave for Richmond. This young officer, 
impatient to return to the front, placed INIrs. Jackson 
under the care of Mr. Lacy, the chaplain, and hurried 



CHANCELLORSVILLE. 301 

back to the lines. Mrs. Jackson left for Richmond filled 
with anxiety and gloomy apprehensions about the gen- 
eral, knowing so well as she did the terrible nature of 
the storm and struggle over which he was to be, under 
his great chief, the presiding spirit. 

As soon as General Jackson found that the Federals 
were crossing the river, he sent one of his aides to inform 
General Lee of the move. The officer sent found Gen- 
eral Lee sitting in his tent, and in reply to ih^ message 
he said, '' Well, I heard firing, and I was beginning to 
think it was time some of you lazy young fellows were 
coming to tell me what it was all about. Say to General 
Jackson that he knows just as well what to do with the 
enemy as I do." 

After getting his corps under arms, and seeing the 
numbers in which the enemy was crossing. General Jack- 
son suspected that this move was only a feint, intended 
to cover a move in some other direction. And such, in- 
deed, proved to be the true state of the case, for General 
Stuart, whose cavalry pickets extended far up the Rap- 
pahannock, soon reported the movement of Federal 
troo])s, which sho^ved that they would attempt to cross 
the Rappahannock farther up that stream, and some 
miles west of Fredericksburg. 

Hooker's plan was as follows. The force crossing the 
river below Fredericksburg, and commanded by General 
Sedgwick, was designed to attract the attention of the 
Confederates, while with the rest of his forces Hooker 
would move rapidly along the northern bank of the 
Rappahannock, cross that stream at Kelly's Ford above 
its junction with the Rapidan, and, pushing across the 
country, cross the last-named stream at Ely and Ger- 
mauna Fords, and move back in the direction of Fred- 

26 



302 I^JPE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

ericksburg, establishing and fortifying himself in the 
Wilderness, on General Lee's flank. 

Tliese movements he proceeded ra])idly to execute. 
His men started on the march with eight days' rations 
in their haversacks, and the army was put in motion, the 
advance reaching Kelly's Ford on the evening of the 
28th of April. On ihQ 29th they reached Ely's and 
Germanna Fords, on the Rapidan. 

In the mean time, General Stuart, being between the 
two rivers, in command of the small force of twenty- 
seven hundred cavalrymen, hung with these upon the 
flanks of the enemy, skirmishing with them until he 
found out their strength and the direction of their march, 
and then, crossing the Rapidan, he re-established his 
connections with General Lee. The main body of the 
Federal cavalry had already broken through the Con- 
federate lines, and was gone, moving south, and evidently 
intent on a raid into the heart of the country. 

So stood matters when General Jackson was summoned 
by General Early on the morning of the 29th to witness 
the Federals crossing the river below Fredericksburg. 
On the same morning the Federal forces crossed the 
Rapidan at Germanna and Ely Fords, and marched 
dow^n towards Chancellorsville, which place is fifteen 
miles west of Fredericksburg. 

General Lee, not aware of these movements, awaited 
the development of the enemy's plans, having stationed 
above Fredericksburg McLaws's and Anderson's divi- 
sions, the only two of Longstreet's corps which he had left 
with him. By the evening of the 29th, General Stuart 
sent him positive information of the enemy's movements. 
He at once sent Anderson to Chancellorsville. That 
general occupied the place that night, but hearing that 



CHANCELLORSVILLE. 303 

the Federals were moving on it in large force, lie pre- 
pared to withdraw in the morning. 

Early in the morning of the 30th the Federal forces 
coming from the Rapidan marched towards Chancellors- 
ville. Approaching that place, their skirmishers fell in 
with the rear-guard of Anderson, who had begun to 
withdraw at daylight in the direction of Fredericksburg, 
and took position at the junction of the Mine and Plank 
roads. On the evening of the 30th, General Hooker 
issued a general order congratulating his troops on the 
success of their movements, and moved his headquarters 
to Chancellorsville, where he took command in person, 
and where he was massing his troops. 

McLaws was ordered at midnight by General Lee to 
move in the direction of Anderson and take position on 
his right. Jackson was ordered to move at daylight 
with three of his divisions in the same direction, leaving 
General Early to defend the works from Fredericksburg 
to Hamilton's Crossing. 

McLaws arrived on Anderson's right at daylight. 
General Jackson set his column in motion at three o'clock 
in the morning, and thus escaped the notice of the enemy 
near Fredericksburg, who had tried to discover the move- 
ments of the Confederates by means of balloons, which 
they were continually sending up. Jackson reached 
Anderson by eight a.m. on the same morning. May 1, 
and at once ordered a general advance. Hooker, in the 
mean time, had ordered the same move on the part of 
his troops, and the Confederates accordingly had ad- 
vanced but a short distance on the old turnpike leading 
to Chancellorsville, when they met the Federal cavalry, 
which they drove in ; but, the Federal troops soon ap- 
pearing in full force, the Confederate skirmishers were in 



304 ^^^^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

turn driven back, and both sides made their dispositions 
for battle. The Federals stoutly resisted General Jack- 
son's advance, until, by a move ordered by him, their 
flank was threatened, when they began a precipitate re- 
treat. The victorious Confederates pushed after them 
as they went back to the position from which they had 
advanced in the morning, and followed them closely to 
their breastworks, which were from half a mile to one 
mile from Chancellorsville. The strength of the enemy's 
position there General Lee thus describes : 

"Here the enemy had assumed a position of great 
natural strength, surrounded on all sides by a dense 
forest, filled with a tangled undergrowth, in the midst 
of which breastworks of logs had been constructed, with 
trees felled in front, so as to form an almost impenetrable 
abatis. His artillery swept the few narrow roads by 
wdiich the position could be approached from the front, 
and commanded the adjacent woods." 

As soon as the strength of the enemy's position was 
ascertained, it became apparent that to attack them 
there w^ould be a useless waste of life ; and accordingly 
nothing more than skirmishing was done along the line 
at the close of this day, Friday, May 1. 

On the left of the plank road, just where it was 
crossed by the Confederate line, rose a small hill, its 
summit covered by a group of pine-trees, Avhose fallen 
leaves, together with the dry sedge on the ground, formed 
an inviting spot for a bivouac. Here Lee and Jackson 
bivouacked with their respective staffs on the night of 
Friday, May L Here the two generals sat beneath the 
pine-trees, through which the wind sighed, while the 
moon shone down in full splendor on places whose 
solitude forty-eight hours before had been broken only 



CHANCELLORSVILLE. 3C5 

by the song of the whippoorwill or the cry of tlie owl, 
but which were now alive with soldiers, many of whom 
were sleeping their last earthly sleep, for Avith the 
morrow the musket and the cannon would asrain beo:in 
their work of destruction. The two generals felt that 
they were on the eve of great events, and the gravity 
of the situation rested in all its weight upon them. 
What was to be done? The situation of affairs was 
indeed serious. Lee's army was diminished one-third 
by the absence of Longstreet and two of his divisions. 
The Federal general Averill had broken through the 
Confederate lines with his well-trained and fine body 
of cavalry, and was moving rapidly southwards, evi- 
dently bent on an extensive raid, and on cutting off, if 
possible, Lee's communications with Richmond. Early 
was obliged to be kept at Fredericksburg and to present 
a bold front with his seven thousand men to Sedg- 
wick in order to conceal Jackson's departure. This left 
but forty-three thousand nien with whom to confront 
Hooker's overwhelming force in his magnificent position. 
The strength of this last at Chancellorsville — which 
consisted of but one brick house — has already b<?en 
described. From this point on his left Hooker's line ran 
back west parallel to the plank road to the vicinity of 
AVilderness Church, two miles distant. The Eleventh 
Corps, commanded by Howard, held the right. The 
whole of this line ran through an almost impenetrable 
forest of scrubby oak and pine, which is fitly termed 
" the Wilderness." Once in its depths, it was difficult 
to find a way out, and more difficult still to know what 
was going on at a distance of even a hundred yards. 

The encounter of the day which had just ended made 
it manifest that Hooker could not be dislodged from 

26* 



306 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

this position by an attack on his splendidly fortified left. 
Anxiously did the two Confederate leaders consult on 
that memorable night as to the next move to be made, 
— a move on which they felt that the fate of their 
armies hung. The presence of Jackson and his forces 
on Hooker's front could not long be concealed from the 
Federal general, and with each hour he was adding 
strength to his position and numbers to his already over- 
whelming force. Pie must be attacked, and at once, or 
all would be lost for the Confederates. Both generals 
felt this; and, in view of Hooker's almost impregnable 
position on his left, General Lee had already ordered his 
cavalry to reconnoitre the Federal right and see what 
could be done there. The vigilant Stuart soon accom- 
plished this reconnoissance, and joined Generals Lee 
and Jackson during the night in their bivouac under 
the pine-trees. He reported that Hooker had ninety 
thousand men massed around Chancellorsville, and had 
his line fortified on the east, south, and southwest, but 
that on the w^est and northwest it was unprotected by 
fortifications, while the absence of Averill with the 
Federal cavalry rendered it particularly exposed to a 
flank attack. Here, then, was found what Lee and 
Jackson were so anxiously looking for, — a weak point 
in the enemy's lines ; and they prepared to pounce upon 
it with all the swiftness and ferocity with wdiich the 
eagle falls from the clouds on its unsuspecting prey. 

It having been agreed to attack the Federals on their 
right, the two generals sought repose after the fatigues 
and anxieties of the day. General Jackson, unmindful 
of everything save the great events so soon to follow, 
had left his quarters in the morning without his blanket 
or overcoat. He therefore lay down at the foot of a 



CHA.\CELLORSVILLE. 3(J7 

pine-tree, to encounter without covering the heavy dews 
and the dampness of the night air. His adjutant, 
Colonel Pendleton, seeing this, offered and pressed him 
to take his overcoat, but the general politely though 
positively declined it. Young Pendleton then took 
from the coat its large cape and spread it over his 
general. Jackson waited until Pendleton was asleep, 
when, rising, he took the cape and silently and tenderly 
spread it over the prostrate form of his adjutant, after 
which he once more lay down at the foot of the tree. 
He awoke after an hour or two, pierced by the cold 
and chilled to the bone. This was his last bivouac. 

^' AVhen his chaplain awoke in the morning, before the 
daw^n of day, he perceived a little fire kindled under the 
trees, and General Jackson sitting by it upon a box, such 
as was used to contain biscuit for the soldiers. The 
general knew that his former pastoral labors had led 
him to this region, and desired to learn something from 
him about its by-roads. He therefore requested him to 
sit beside him on the box, and, wdien the other declined 
to incommode him by so doing, made room for him, and 
repeated, ^ Come, sit down ; I wish to talk with you.' 
As he took his seat, he perceived that Jackson was shud- 
dering with cold, and was embracing the little blaze with 
expressions of great enjoyment. He then proceeded to 
state that the enemy were in great force at Chancellors- 
ville in a fortified position, and that to dislodge them by 
a front attack would cost a fearful loss of life. He 
wished to know whether he w^as acquainted with any 
way by which their flank might be turned, either on the 
right or the left.'' * 

*Dabney's Life of Jackson, pp. 675, G76. 



308 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

After some further conversation with his chaplain 
about the roads, General Jackson at daybreak dispatched 
two of his staff to find out if there was a road by which 
he might swiftly and secretly pass round the flank of 
Hooker's army. 

" The needed information was soon obtained. Seated 
upon two cracker-boxes, the debris of an issue of Fed- 
eral rations the day before, the Confederate leaders held 
their consultation. AVith a map before him, General 
Jackson suggested an entire circuit of the right of the 
opposing army, and that the attack be made on its rear. 
Lee inquired with what force he would do this. Jack- 
son replied, ' With my whole corps, present.' Lee then 
asked what would be left to him with which to resist an 
advance of the enemy towards Fredericksburg. ' The 
divisions of Anderson and McLaws,' said Jackson. For 
a moment Lee reflected on the audacity of this plan in 
the face of Hooker's superior numbers. With less than 
forty -two thousand muskets he Avas in the presence of 
sixty thousand. To divide his army into two parts and 
place the whole Federal force between them was ex- 
tremely hazardous. But it was impossible to attack the 
Federal position in front without terrible loss. The 
very boldness of the proposed movement, if executed 
with secrecy and dispatch, was an earnest of success. 
Jackson was directed to carry out the plan." "^^ 

He had ascertained that by sweeping around in front 
of Hooker's line and round his right he v/ould, after a 
circuit of fifteen miles, reach the old turnpike road at a 
point several miles west of Hooker's right, M'hence he 
could fall upon his flank and rear. General Lee's con- 

^- Battle-Field- of Virginia — Chancellorsville, pp. 41, 42. 



CHANCELLORSVILLE. 309 

sent to this plan being given, orders for the march were 
immediately issued, and the whole corps was soon in 
motion, Rodes, commanding D. H. Hill's division, lead- 
ing the march. By sunrise General Jackson appeared 
at the head of his column at Catherine Furnace, a mile 
and a half distant from the place where he had spent the 
night. The proprietor of the furnace urged him to stop 
and breakfast, but, declining his hospitality, he busied 
himself in pushing forward the advance of his troops. 

Meanwhile, General Hooker, as had been determined 
upon the night before, Avas awaiting in his lines the 
Confederate attack. Some of his scouts, mounted in the 
tops of the highest trees southeast of Chancellorsville, 
caught a glimpse of Jackson's corps as it was passing 
the furnace. They immediately reported this movement 
of the Confederate forces to General Hooker, who was 
at the time examining in person his position. He at 
once suspected its object, and, on his return to headquar- 
ters at nine in the morning, he sent orders to his officers 
commandino^ on the rio-ht to be on their iruard. He 
hoped, however, that this move on the part of the Con- 
federates was in reality a retreat; and when finally the 
column disappeared, moving southward, this hope seemed 
confirmed. A Federal force was sent out to harass i\\Q 
rear of what was considered the retreating Confederates. 
A Georgia regiment which had been left by General 
Jackson to guard the outlet of a road by which the enemy 
could attack was captured by the Federals, and they 
were preparing to follow in full force when he was 
already beyond their reach. 

General Lee, on his part, by the active movement 
of troops, and continual skirmishing with the enemy on 
their left, completely blinded General Hooker as to the 



310 I^Jl^J^^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

real move on lils right. Tluis, while the enemy's feebly- 
roused suspicions were lulled to rest, the thunderbolt 
of Avar had been f\iirly launched, and Avas soon to burst 
upon the foe. The ^reat captain Avas acting up to the 
Jackson motto, "swift by land and sea,'' and through 
dense forests and over unfrequented roads AA^as thundering 
along Avith his A^eteran legions through brier and brake 
to accomplish one of the most brilliant moves that ha\^e 
eA'Cr adorned the annals of Avar. Often his column had 
to SAverve still farther to the left, to avoid the enemy's 
pickets. His moA^ements for the most part Avere con- 
cealed from the enemy by the dense forest through Avhich he 
moA^ed, and by Stuart's cavalry, Avho scoured the country 
betAA'een his column and the Federal lines. He marched 
soutliAvest a few miles beyond Catherine Furnace, and 
then t-urne 1 toAvards the northwest, marching on 'n that 
direction at a ra})id, steady gait. His men, quickly find- 
ing that they were engaged in one of his brilliant flank 
movements, stepped forAA^ard with enthusiasm. So rapid 
AA'as the adA^ance that often the men had to break into a 
double-quick to close up the column. Across the enemy's 
front they marched SAviftly> and bearing noAV to the right 
they approaclied his right flank. At last, by three o'clock 
in the afternoon, the head of the column struck the 
old turnpike, Avhich ran directly Avest from the enemy's 
position at ChancellorsAnlle. Jackson had marched fifteen 
miles ; he had turned the enemy's flank AA^thout being^ 
discovered, and Avas now six miles from Chancel lorsA^ille, 
facing the enemy from the AA^est, Avhile Ceneral Lee 
confronted them on the east. The bright beams of the 
morning sun shone on the backs of his soldiers Avhen he 
began the day's march, but noAV its slanting rays towards 
the decline of the day rested on their backs and played 



CHA NCELL ORS VILLE. 311 

aroiiiid their bright bayonets as, on striking the turnpike, 
they wheeled to the right and were ready to rush down 
upon the unsuspecting foe at Chancellorsville. While 
the Federals were preparing to pursue him from the 
furnace, he was ready to fall like a thunderbolt upon 
their flank and rear. Every precaution Avas taken to 
conceal the presence of his troops. Orders were given 
in a low tone, not a gun was fired, and it was forbidden 
to cheer the general as he passed dovvu the column. He 
now addressed to General Lee his last official note, as 

follows : 

" Near three p.m., May 2, 1863. 

" General, — The enemy has made a stand at Chan- 
cellor's, which is about two miles from Chancellorsville. 
I hope so soon as practicable to attack. 

" I trust that an ever-kind Providence will bless us 
with success. 

" Respectfully, 
" T. J. Jackson, Lieutenant-General. 
" General Robert E. Lee. 

" P. S. — The leading division is up, and the next two 
appear to be well closed. T. J. J." 

After riding down the turnpike and making a recon- 
noissance, General Jackson formed his line of battle. 
He formed his corj^s into three parallel lines, crossing 
the turnpike and facing the east. Rodes's division 
formed the first line, Colston's the second, and A. P. 
Hill's the third. Two pieces of Stuart^s artillery were 
to move down the turnpike, which formed the centre of 
his lines. For two hours officers commanding and their 
aides were busy in giving and carrying orders from 
one part of the corps to another. Swiftly and silently 



312 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

did tliey gallop from point to point, until at length three 
lines were in battle-array and ready at the word of com- 
mand to plunge into the dense forest in front of them, 
— a forest so dense and tangled that in rushing through 
it the soldiers had their clothes almost torn from their 
bodies. 

The situation of the unsuspecting enemy upon whom 
they were so soon to burst like a tornado was as follows : 

'' The Eleventh Corps (Howard's) held the right of the 
Federal army. The works thrown up for its protection 
w^ere parallel to the plank and turnpike roads, and faced 
southwardly. Steinwehr's division held the left of these 
w^orks, joining Sickles; Schurz held the centre, and 
Devens the right. Devens^s position was west of the 
intersection of the plank and turnpike roads, near Tal- 
ley's. House. The mass of his force occupied the works 
parallel to the road, which w^ere formed by deepening 
the ditch on the side of the road, by earthworks thrown 
up hastily in the field, by timbers from the log out-build- 
ings, and rails from the fences in the vicinity. But a 
portion of one of his brigades on the extreme right was 
thrown across the pike facing westwardly. These last 
were protected by but very slight works and an abatis. 
Two pieces of artillery were placed on the pike with 
these troops. These were the only preparations to meet 
the flank movement of Jackson. 

^^Just before six o'clock Jackson gave the order to 
advance. As swiftly as the brushwood would permit, 
the lines moved forward. The forest was full of game, 
which, startled from their hiding-places by the unusual 
presence of man, ran In numbers to and over the Federal 
lines. Deer leaped over the works at Talley's, and 
dashed into the wood behind. The Federal troops had 



CHANCELLORSVILLE. 313 

ill most cases their arms stacked, and were eating supper. 
All danger was thought to be over for the night. 

^' The startled game gave the first intimation of Jack- 
son's approach. But so little was it suspected or believed 
that the suggestion was treated as a jest. Presently the 
bugles were heard through which orders were passed 
along the Confederate lines. This excited "still more 
remark. Ere it had been long discussed, however, there 
came the sound of a few straggling shots from the skir- 
mishers, then a mighty cheer, and in a moment more 
Jackson was upon them. A terrible volley from his line 
of battle was poured among the Union troops ere they 
could recover from their surprise. Those in line returned 
a scattered fire; others seized their arms and attempted 
to form. Officers tried to steady their men andjead 
them to meet the attack. All was in vain. Eodes 
rushed over the artillery and infantry of Devens's 
division, which were in position across the turnpike. 
The mass of Devens's division, at Talley's, taken in the 
rear by the Confederate fire, broke and rushed at once 
to the rear in the wildest disorder. The position at Tal- 
ley's, which was high and commanding, thus fell with 
hardly any serious resistance. Five pieces of artillery 
are taken in the works, and a large number of prisoners. 
The Confederate line does not stop for a moment, but 
with increasing enthusiasm continues to rush on. Schurz's 
division does not stay to receive the attack, but joins at 
once in the rout. On, on pushes Kodes, closely fol- 
lowed by Colston and Hill. Here and there a Federal 
regiment takes position, fires a few rounds, and then, as 
the Confederate masses come up, is scattered to the winds, 
leaving half its numbers wounded and dying on the field. 
Like a tornado the Confederate lines pass over the ground, 
o 27 



314 ^^I^J-- OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

breaking, cnisJiiiig, crumbling Howard's corps. Artil- 
lery, Avagoiis, anilnilances, are driven in frantic panic to 
the rear, and double the confusion. The rout is utter 
and hopeless. The mass of pursuers and pursued roll 
on until the position of Melzi Chancellor's is reached. 
Here a strong line of works had been constructed across 
the road, which, having a shallow ditch, could be made 
to face in either direction. 

" During the time occupied in the dispersion of 
Devens's and Schurz's divisions, Steinwchr had rapidly 
changed front and thrown Buschbeck's brigade into these 
works. The other brigade of his division had been sent 
to sujiport Sickles. Some of Schurz's men rally on 
Buschbeck, and for a short time the Confederate advance 
is arrested. But Jackson cannot long be held back. 
Colston's division has eagerly pressed on, and is already 
commingled with Kodes's. Together they charge M^ith a 
yell ; and in a few moments the works are taken. Pell- 
mell now rush the Eleventh Corps, the last semblance of 
organization gone, through the forest, towards Chancel- 
lorsville. Onward sweep the Confederates in hot pur- 
suit. The arms, knapsacks, and accoutrements of the 
fugitives fill the woods. Artillery-carriages are to be 
seen overturned in the narrow roads, or hopelessly jammed 
in the impenetrable jungle. The wounded and dying, 
with their groans, fill the forest on every side. The day 
is rapidly drawing to a close ; night comes to add con- 
fusion to the scene. It had been impossible in the broad 
daylight, owing to the intricacy of the forest, to prevent 
a commino'lins: of reoiments and brisfades alono; the Con- 
federate lines. The confusion thus produced is greatly 
increased by the darkness. In a brushwood so dense 
that it is impossible, under favorable circumstances, to 



CHAXCELLORSVILLE. 32^5 

see thirty yards in any direction, companies, regiments, 
brigades, become inextricably intermixed. Colston's 
division, forming the second line, has already become 
merged with Rodes's. Both move on in one confused 
mass. The right of the Confederate line soon reaches 
an abatis which has been felled to protect the approach 
to some works on the opposite heights. The troops, 
already disordered, become still more so among the felled 
timber. Behind tliis abatis some troops and artillery 
have been gathered to make a stand. Eodes finds it 
impossible to push farther until the lines can be reformed. 
The right is first halted, and then the whole Confederate 
line. Rodes sends word at once to Jackson requesting 
that the third line (A. P. Hill's division) be sent forward 
to take the advance until the first and second can be re- 
formed. 

" While this was being done, there was a lull in the 
storm of battle. Jackson had paused for a time in his 
pursuit ; Hooker was attempting to stop and re-form his 
flvino^ le2:ions."* 

All during this magnificent charge Jackson was tlie 
impersonation of military enthusiasm. Onward he dashed 
at the head of his conquering column, as much carried 
away by the brilliant success of his move as the most 
thoughtless soldier in the ranks. " Forward !" " Press 
on !" were his answers to every question. As cheer after 
cheer burst from the Confederate line, and one by one 
the enemy's strongholds fell into their hands, the flush 
which reddened his cheek and the fire of his eves showed 
how dee})ly he was moved by the scene which his master- 
spirit had, as it were, conjured up in the heart of that 

* Battle-Fields of Virginia. 



316 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

dense forest, whose wilds had so rarely been trodden by 
tlie'foot of man. Never had he been seen to abandon 
himself so entirely to the enthusiasm of the moment as 
lie did on this his last field of battle. Never before, while 
still dashing ahead in this wild, sweeping charge, had his 
hand been seen so often raised as his soul lifted itself up 
to God in thankful prayer. Plis most sanguine hopes 
had been realized. He had flanked the enemy's lino, 
driven back his legions in hopeless confusion, and with 
scarcely any resistance pressed forward two or three 
miles into his lines. But Jackson knew much had yet 
to be done before the victory could be complete. He 
felt that all depended on the first successful blow being 
followed up rapidly by others. He saw, then, with bitter 
regret, the disorder into which the first line had almost 
necessarily fallen. The men had now marched twenty 
miles, and fought over three miles of ground, and they 
almost involuntarily halted and broke up into groups, as 
if the w^ork of the day were done. An important work 
from which the enemy had just fled lay in front of them. 
At any moment it might be re-occupied by the foe. 
Jackson felt that precious moments were being lost. He 
sent messenger after messenger to different officers, order- 
ing them to get their men back into ranks and press 
forward. His staff was scattered over the whole field, 
urging the troo23S forward. A young colonel of the line 
who came to report to him at this time that the work 
just mentioned was lying unguarded on his front, found 
him almost without a staff, and riding along the lines 
near the road, trying to get them into order. " Men, 
get into line ! get into line !" he was saying. " Whose 
regiment is this? Colonel, get your men instantly into 
line !" Turning to tl;e colonel who had just reported 



CHANCEL L ORS VILLE. 3^7 

to him, he said, " Find General Rodes, and tell him to 
occupy that barricade at once with his troops." He then 
added, " I need your help for a time ; this disorder mast 
be corrected. As you go along the right, tell the troops, 
from me, to get into line and preserve their order." 

After thus endeavoring to restore order to his lines, 
and while waiting for A. P. Hill, whom he had ordered 
to be hurried forward, Jackson rode along the turnpike to 
make a reconnoissance. He found the enemy, as he had 
expected, advancing, and, ere Rodes's men had fully oc- 
cupied the barricade, a strong line of fresh troops, sent 
forward by Hooker, came in sight. Jackson meanwhile 
had advanced a hundred yards beyond his line of battle. 
Accompanied as he was by a portion of his staff, several 
other officers, and a number of couriers, the party might 
have been taken by friend or foe for a squadron of cav- 
alry. He had ridden some distance beyond the pickets, 
and was near the Van West house, when one of tlie party 
said to him, "General, you should not expose yourself 
so much." "There is no danger," he replied; "the 
enemy is routed. Go back and tell General Hill to press 
on." He soon became aware of how close he was to the 
Federal lines by the advance of their pickets, and he at 
once turned his horse's head, and the whole party rode 
back to the Confederate troops. On both sides the 
skirmishers were firing, and Jackson's escort was mis- 
taken for a body of Federal cavalry and received a 
volley from the Confederate line of battle. This fire 
told with cruel effect, several of the party falling from 
their saddles, some wounded, others killed. The general 
escaped, and, now mindful of tlie danger of his position, 
turned into the thicket on his left and advanced towards 
his own troops. By a strange fatality, however, his party 

27 



318 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

was for the second time taken for the enemy, and was 
fired upon by a brigade south of the road, and not more 
than thirty or forty yards off. This time the general was 
struck, and received three balls, one in the right hand 
and two in the right arm, one of which shattered the 
bone and cut the artery about two inches below the 
shoulder. Half of his escort, including Captain Bos- 
Avell, of his staff, fell, killed or wounded. Their horses 
dashed off wildly through the woods. Jackson's, terrified 
by the fire, wheeled and dashed madly forward with his 
wounded and almost powerless rider towards the enemy's 
lines. While thus carried through the dense thicket, the 
brushwood and overhanging limbs struck him, and a 
bough which knocked off his cap almost unhorsed him 
as it bore him backwards. His bridle-hand was power- 
less, but, gathering up the reins with his mangled right, 
he made a desperate effort, stopped the terrified animal, 
and turned him back to his own lines. Captain Wil- 
bourne, one of his escort, and AYynn, his assistant, ran 
up to him as he reined up his horse on the plank road 
near the spot where he had received the fatal fire, and 
stood gazing at his troops as if dumfounded at wliat 
thev had done. The firino; had ceased, but around him 
were lying the dead and wounded, while their horses, 
dashino; riderless and terrified throuo;]! the woods, added 
to the confusion and horrors of the scene. On reaching 
the general, young Wilbourne seized his bridle and asked 
anxiously if he were much hurt. He answered that he 
believed his arm was broken, and he wished he would 
assist him to dismount; but the next moment, attempting 
to move the shattered limb, he fell fainting from his 
horse into Captain Wilbourne's arms. Quickly disen- 
gaging the general's feet from his stirrups. Captain Wil- 



CHA NCELL ORS VILLE. 319 

bourne and Wynn bore him into the woods a few yards 
north of the turnpike. Wynn ran off for a surgeon and 
ambulance, w^hile Wilbourne, supporting the wounded 
man's head on his bosom, hastened to strip the sleeve 
from the crushed arm as the blood flowed steadily down 
to the wrist. He had nothing but a penknife with which 
to rip off the sleeve, and, seeing just then General A. P. 
Hill and part of his staff ride by, he called to him for 
aid. General Hill threw himself from his horse and 
took the general's body in his arms. His aide, Major 
Leigh, also dismounting, the three succeeded in getting 
at the wound and staunching the blood. 

Just at this moment Jackson's aides. Lieutenants 
Smith and Morrison, came up. Young Morrison, his 
brother-in-law, could not restrain his emotion when he 
saw his condition. Amid all his suffering the general 
did not utter a complaint. " I believe my arm is broken, 
and it gives me severe pain," he said, in reply to a ques- 
tion. " Are you hurt elsewhere, general ?" he was asked. 
*'Yes; in my right arm." "Shall it be bound up?" 
" No," he replied ; " it is a trifle." When asked how 
he had received his wounds, he said, calmly, " All my 
wounds were undoubtedly from my own men." He 
asked for Dr. McGuire, and Avas told that he was busily 
engaged in the rear. " Then I wish you to get me a 
skillful surgeon," he said to young Wilbourne. While 
lying on General Hill's breast, tliat commander ordered 
that the men should not be told who he was. The gen- 
eral opened his eyes, and, looking steadily at his aides, 
Morrison and Smith, said, " Tell them simply you have 
a Confederate officer." 

General Hill was asked where a surgeon could be most 
quickly found. He said that Dr. Barr was close by. 



320 I^JFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSOX. 

lie was at once summoned, and on lils arrival Jackson 
whispered to Hill, " Is he a skillful surgeon ?'^ When 
General Hill replied that he stood well with his brigade, 
and was only wanted to staunch the wound, Jackson re- 
plied, ^' Very good.'^ But Dr. Barr found the blood had 
ceased to flow, and he did not apply the tourniquet he 
had in his hand. Just at this moment, when the hemor- 
rhage had stopped and his arm had been placed in a sling, 
as the general lay silent and suffering in the arms of his 
friends, two Federal skirmishers, with their muskets 
cocked, approached within a few feet of the kneeling 
group. General Hill, with admirable self-possession, 
instantly told his orderlies to rise and demand their 
surrender. The orderlies quickly obeyed, and the men, 
amazed and confounded, at once laid down their arms. 
Lieutenant ^lorrison, fearing from the approach of these 
two men that the enemy might be close at hand, advanced 
into the road to reconnoitre. He found his fears realized, 
for by the light of the moon he saw a short distance off 
the black mouth of a field-piece pointed towards him, 
and heard distinctly the orders given by the officers to 
the cannoneers. He ran back to the little group in the 
woods kneeling around their wounded chief, and, report- 
ing that the enemy were planting cannon in the road, 
said the general must be instantly removed. General 
Hill was now forced to leave for his own post. He 
sprang into his saddle, dashed off, and was a few minutes 
later struck down at the head of his column and borne, 
wounded and stunned, from the field. Captain AVil- 
bourne had gone back in search of an ambulance, but 
none had as yet come up, and no time was to be lost in 
removing the general. His attendants proposed to bear 
him from the field in their arms, but he said he could 



CHA NCELL ORS VI L L E. 3 2 1 

walk to the rear if assisted. He was accordingly placed 
on his feet, and, leaning on the shoulders of Major Leigh 
and Lieutenant Smith, he moved slowly out into the 
road and towards his own troops. A litter having been 
brought up from the rear, the wounded man was being 
placed on it, when suddenly a volley of canister-shot Avas 
fired up the road by the enemy, and, passing over the 
heads of the group, cleared the road of everything else 
that was upon it. The general's horse broke from the 
person who was leading it, and dashed panic-stricken into 
the Confederate lines. Jackson's aides, Morrison and 
Smith, and two soldiers, bore the litter. But they had 
advanced only a few steps when a second volley again 
swept the road. One of the soldiers was struck, and fell 
severely wounded. Major Leigh sprang forward and 
caught the litter as it fell with him, or the general would 
have been thrown from it. They were now compelled 
to set the litter down. Scarcely was this done when a 
storm of lead and canister swept down the road and 
crashed through the trees on each side. This was more 
than flesh and blood could stand. The party bearing 
the wounded hero fled to the woods. Major Leigh 
and young Smith and Morrison alone clinging to him. 
Beneath this deadly shower the general lay in the road, 
with his feet extended towards the enemy. On one side 
of him was stretched Lieutenant Smith, on the other 
Major Leigh. With their arms thrown lovingly around 
their chief they sought to protect with their own bodies 
his prostrate form and shield it from the missiles now 
hurtling around them. More than once the balls plowed 
up the earth beside them and covered them with dust. 
The wounded man, conscious of the perils of the position, 
struggled violently as if to rise, but the strong arms of 



322 ^-^^^> OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

young Smith held him pinned to the earth, as he ex- 
claimed, '^ General, you must lie still ; it will cost you 
your life if you rise." For several minutes they re- 
mained thus prostrate beneath this fiery ordeal, every 
Tone of the. four expecting each minute to be his last. 
But the enemy's fire at length subsided, and they were 
left untouched. 

Another effort was now made to get the general to the 
rear. The four rose to their feet, and in the uncertain 
light of the moon moved along the edge of the road, 
— the general leaning heavily upon the brave, strong 
young arms thrown lovingly around him, and painfully 
dragging himself and being dragged along. They moved 
to one side, to avoid being recognized by the troops as 
pressing forward they hurried on to the front. Finding 
that in spite of this precaution the wounded chief was 
recognized, they turned still farther to the right into the 
woods. Here they fell upon the Confederate line of 
battle held by Pender's brigade of A. P. Hill's division. 
The men for the most part were lying down, to avoid the 
enemy's artillery fire. As the little party moved in the 
dim moonlight through and over them, the repeated 
question was, " Whom have you there ?" To which the 
calm and invariable reply was, " A Confederate officer." 
Some endeavored to get a view of the wounded man's 
face, and in spite of Captain Wilbourne's efforts to con- 
ceal it they recognized him, and exclaimed, with horror, 
" Great God ! it is General Jackson !" The news now 
ran rapidly along the lines, but the soldiers were quieted 
by the belief that Jackson's wounds were slight. Gen- 
eral Pender, whose quick eye had almost instantly recog- 
nized the general, approached him, and, after expressing 
his sorrow at seeing him wounded, said to him, " The 



CHANCELLOnsVILLE. 323 

troops have sufiered severely from the enemy's artillery, 
and are somewhat disorganized ; I fear we cannot main- 
tain our position." For a moment the old battle look 
returned to Jackson's pale face, and the battle fire flashed 
from his eyes, as, raising his head and speaking in his 
habitual quick tones, he said, ^'You must hold your 
ground, General Pender; you must hold your ground, 
sir !" With this order his career as a general ended. 

The little party now again moved on. The general, 
exhausted by fatigue and suffering, asked to be allowed 
to sit down and rest; but he was still too near the enemy 
to admit of this, and he Was placed on a litter. Litter- 
bearers being procured after some delay, he was now 
borne rapidly towards the rear* As the party hurried 
rapidly through the dense and tangled thicket, the gen- 
eral's clothes were torn and his face scratched by the 
brushwood through which they passed. On they moved, 
thinking only of getting their wounded chief to a place 
of safety, when suddenly one of the litter-bearers caught 
his foot in a vine, stumbled, and fell. The general fell 
heavily, striking the ground with his wounded shoulder. 
For the first time, he groaned. His attendants caught 
him up in their arms, and as young Smith laid his head 
on his breast and found the blood again flowing, he feared 
he might be expiring. ^^ General, are you much hurt ?" 
he inquired. " No, Mr. Smith ; don't trouble yourself 
about me," was the reply. He was again placed on the 
litter, and the party, turning from the wood, bore him 
half a mile under a heavy fire to the rear, where they 
were met by Dr. ]\IcGuire with an ambulance. Kneel- 
ing beside him, the doctor said, " I hope you are not 
badly hurt, general ?" Feebly, but calmly, he replied, 
^' I am badly injured, doctor; I fear I am dying;" and 



324 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

after a pause he added, " I am glad you liave come ; I 
tliink the wound in my shoulder is still bleeding." His 
clothes were found wet with his blood, which, as he sur- 
mised, was still flowing. His cold hands and clammy 
skin, and the deathly pallor of his countenance, betrayed 
the intensity of his suffering. Yet not a groan or a mur- 
mur escaped from him. Only these signs, together with 
the rigidity of his features, a wrinkled brow, and lips so 
tightly compressed that the impression of the teeth was 
shown through them, showed how great were his suffer- 
ing::s. 

The hemorrhage was soon stopped, and after the 
general had taken some whisky he was placed in the 
ambulance, which set out for the field infirmary at the 
Wilderness Tavern. In the ambulance was Jackson's 
chief of artillery, the gallant Colonel Crutchfield, whose 
promotion, as we have seen, he had pressed so earnestly, 
and who now lay suffering from a serious wound, just re- 
ceived, in the leg. The general expressed his sympathy 
for hira. Dr. McGuire sat in the front part of the 
ambulance, with his finger on the artery from which the 
general's blood had flowed, to arrest the bleeding should 
it again begin. The night was dark, and by the light 
of torches the ambulance moved slowly and carefully 
forward. Once Colonel Crutchfield groaned, when Jack- 
son at once ordered the ambulance to be stop])ed, and 
asked if something could not be done to relieve Colonel 
Crutchfield. He had previously put his right hand on 
Dr. McGuire's head, and, pulling it down, whispered in 
his ear and asked if Colonel Crutchfield was dangerously 
wounded. When answered, " No ; only painfully hurt," 
he said, " I am glad it is no worse." A few moments 
later, Colonel Crutchfield put the same whispered ques- 



CHANCELLOnSVILLE. 325 

tion about the general to the doctor, and when told that he 
was very seriously wounded, he groaned, and cried out, 
" Oh, my God !" It was this groan and cry which the 
general mistook for an expression of physical suffering,' 
and which induced him to order the ambulance to be 
stopped. The ambulance finally reached the hospital in 
safety, and the general was carefully taken from it and 
placed on a bed in a tent which had been put up for him. 



28 



CHAPTER Xyil. 



DEATH AND BURIAL. 



The fono^^^ng incident, too curions and too authentic 
to be omitted from a life of Jackson, must be given 
before we turn again to the field of battle or to the dying 
man's couch. 

In 1852, -while going up the Mississippi Kiver, Jack- 
son made the acquaintance of a gentleman, Mr. Revere, 
who was afterwards a major in tlie United States army 
during the war. In a conversation with this gentleman 
one day during their trip up the Mississippi, the subject 
turning from nautical astronomy to astrology, Mr. Re- 
vere saw the great interest which Jackson took in it, and, 
on parting with him at the end of their journey, gave 
him the necessary data for calculating a horoscope. A 
short time afterwards, Mr. Revere received a letter from 
Jackson inclosing a scheme of their nativities, from which 
it appeared that their destinies would run in parallel 
lines, and that somewhere about the first days of May, 
1863, they would both be exposed to great danger. The 
letter and its prophecy were soon both forgotten by Mr. 
Revere. At the battle of Chancellorsville he commanded 
a brigade, and while inspecting his picket line saw a 
party of horsemen approaching from the direction of the 
Confederate lines. I leave him to relate what followed : 

"The foremost horseman detached himself from the 
main body, which halted not far from us, and, riding 
32G 



DEATH AND BURIAL. 327 

cautiously nearer, seemed to try to pierce the gloom. 
He was so close to us that the soldier nearest me leveled 
his rifle for a shot at him; but I forbade him, as I did 
not wish to have our position revealed, and it would 
have been useless to kill the man, whom I judged to be 
a staff-officer making a reconnoissance. Having com- 
pleted his observations, this person rejoined the group in 
his rear, and all returned at a gallop. The clatter of 
hoofs soon ceased to be audible ; and the silence of the 
night Avas unbroken save by the melancholy cries of the 
whippoorwill, when the horizon was lighted up by a 
sudden flash in the direction of the enemy, succeeded by 
the well-know^n rattle of a volley of musketry from at 
least a battalion. A second volley quickly followed the 
first; and I heard cries in the same direction. Fearing 
that some of our troops might be in that locality, and 
that there w^as danger of our firing upon friends, I left 
my orderly and rode towards the Confederate lines. A 
riderless horse dashed past me, and I reined up in the 
presence of a group of several persons gathered round a 
man lying on the ground apparently badly wounded. I 
saw at once that these were Confederate officers ; but, re- 
flecting that I was well armed and mounted, and that I 
had on the great-coat of a private soldier, such as was 
worn by both parties, I sat still, regarding the group in 
silence, but prepared to use either my spurs or sabre as 
occasion might demand. The silence was broken by one 
of the Confederates, who appeared to regard me with 
astonishment ; then, speaking in a tone of authority, he 
ordered me to ^ ride up there and see what troops those 
were,^ indicating the rebel position. I instantly made a 
gesture of assent, and rode slowly in the direction in- 
dicated until out of sight of the group; then made 



328 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

a circuit round it and returned within my lines. Just 
as I liad answered the challenge of our picket, the section 
of our artillery posted on the plank road began firing; 
and I could plainly hear the grape crashing through the 
trees near the spot occupied by the group of Confederate 
officers/' * 

In an account of how Jackson received his wound, the 
^'Kichmond Enquirer" of May 13, 1863, says,— 

" The turnpike was utterly deserted, with the excep- 
tion of Captains Wilbourne and Wynn ; but, in the 
skirting of the thicket on the left, some person was 
observed by the side of the wood, sitting his horse 
motionless and silent. The unknown individual was 
clad in a dark dress which strongly resembled the Fed- 
eral uniform ; but it seemed impossible that he could 
have penetrated to that spot without being discovered ; 
and what followed seemed to prove that he belonged to 
the Confederates. Captain Wilbourne directed him to 
ride up there and see Avhat troops those were, — the men 
who fired on Jackson ; and the stranger rode slowly in 
the direction pointed out, but never returned with any 



Before again turning to Jackson, the progress and 
conclusion of the battle of Chancellorsville must be 
given. When Jackson fell, and General Hill, also, dis- 
abled by a wound, left the field, it was decided by Jack- 
son's adjutant and the generals of the corps to offer its 
command to General Stuart. Brigadier-General E-odes 
was indeed the senior officer of the corps; but. General 
Stuart being the only major-general on the field, and 

*Atlsintic Monthly, January, 1873. 



DEATH AND BURIAL. 329 

being better known throughout the army, General Rodes 
gracefully waived his claims to the command. 

As soon as it was decided to offer it to General Stuart, 
Captain Wilbourne was sent to General Lee to report 
the state of affairs to him and to ask for further orders. 
Captain Hotchkiss accompanied Captain Wilbourne, and 
after a hard ride the two young officers arrived on Sun- 
day morning before daybreak at a cluster of pines east 
of Chancel loi-sville, where General Lee was lying upon 
the ground beneath a thick pine-tree. On reporting 
themselves to his chief of staff, they were at once sum- 
moned to report to the general in person. ^ There, beneath 
the stars that were disappearing before the rapidly-ap- 
proaching light of the early dawn, he listened eagerly to 
the tale of Jackson's swift and noiseless march, of the 
rapidity with which his troops were formed into line 
when they found themselves actually in the enemy's rear, 
and of the magnificent charge which followed. But 
when they told him of Jackson's wound, he exclaimed, 
with ill-suppressed emotion, '^Ah, any victory is dearly 
bought which deprives us of the services of Jackson, 
even for a short time." On hearing that General Stuart 
had been chosen to command Jackson's corps for that 
day, he confirmed the choice. He was then told that 
Jackson had said " the enemy should be pressed in the 
morning." " Those people shall be pressed immediatelv," 
he replied, as he rose ; and a few minutes later the noble 
chief was in the saddle and off to arrange his troops for 
the movements of that eventful day. 

But to return to Jackson's corps. The fall of its 
leader and the approach of night arrested its further 
advance — already checked by the enemy — on Saturday 
night. During that night Hooker formed a new front 

28- 



330 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

on his right with the troops of Sickles and Berry, the 
Eleventh Corps being for the time hors du combat. 
Reynolds's corps, having been summoned from Fred- 
erickburg, where it had been acting under Sedgwick's 
command, was now near at hand. Sedgwdck was still 
left with a powerful force — twenty thousand men — at 
Fredericksburg. It was most desirable for the Confed 
erates to keep Reynolds's fine corps out of the fight the 
next day (Sunday). 

This had been thought of by Jackson, and one of his 
last orders was for a movement of a regiment by which 
he hoped to throw Reynolds off his guard and check his 
further advance. Just before receiving his fatal wound, 
he ordered General Pender to send him a regiment for 
a special service. General Pender accordingly sent him 
the 16th North Carolina, Colonel McElroy. This officer 
received orders to go with a squadron of cavalry to Ely's 
Ford, where, he was told, he would find a corps of Fed- 
eral troops encamped. There he Avas to approach as 
near as possible, and, at a given signal, to fire three vol- 
leys at them, amid loud cheering. The orders were 
promptly obeyed by Coloaiel ^IcElroy, who, after this 
strano'e move, Avas back on the field of battle bv three 
o'clock in the morning. Later in the day he had reason 
to believe that the corps he had attacked under cover of 
the night was Reynolds's, and that this attack had been 
designed to check his advance, and had been successful. 
Be this as it may, Reynolds's corps was not in the fight 
on Sunday morning. 

The attack on the enemy was begun early on Sunday 
morning by General Stuart on the west and General 
Lee on the south and east of the enemy's position. 
Stuart moved his force somewhat to the right, and in his 



DEATH AND BURIAL. 33 X 

advance recovered the vantage-ground lost during the 
confusion which followed Jackson's fall the night before. 
He led the coqis rapidly through a belt of woods, from 
which they emerged to see a second line of works on the 
crest of a long declivity. Realizing the bloody task 
that was before them, meii and officers saw that there 
was not a minute to lose in carrying these works. AVhen 
the gallant Stuart gave the order, in clear, ringing tones, 
" Charge ! and remember Jackson !'' the air Avas rent 
with shouts as this battle-cry was caught from their 
leader's lips and re-echoed along the whole line. The 
men of the Stonewall Brigade were conspicuous for their 
valor. The Federals fought well, and made a stout re- 
sistance to the impetuous onslaught of the Confederates. 
Stuart's left flank was thrown into confusion by a gallant 
attack made on it by the enemy, but, being reinforced, 
continued its advance, and the Federal line was pushed 
steadil} back until it found cover under a second line of 
intrenchments. These had been thrown up on Saturday 
night, and covered the road leading to United States 
Ford over the Rappahannock. Hooker's efforts during 
the battle seem to have been directed more to wetting: his 
army into this second line than to resisting: successfully 
the Confederate attack. His brigadiers saw this with 
dismay, and tried in vain to counteract Avith desperate 
fighting his bad generalship. 

Sedgwick received orders from Hooker at midniglit, 
Saturday, to march at once to his aid. He immediately 
put his corps in motion, his command being stationed on 
the south bank of the Rappahannock, three miles below 
Fredericksburg. The Confederate force left to defend 
that town consisted of Early's division and Barksdale's 
brigade. As Sedgwick advanced, the Confederates fell 



332 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

back before liim, making no further show of resistance 
than very spirited skirmishing. Before the dawn of day, 
Sedgwick occupied Fredericksburg, but the force sent 
out by him as an advance was repulsed. The main 
body of his troops, coming up and finding the heights 
occupied by the Confederates, assailed and carried them 
with great gallantry. The Confederates fell back in full 
retreat, and, the plank road leading to Chancel lorsville 
being open, Sedgwick moved along it without delay. 
Thus, while General Lee was hurling his forces against 
Hooker, the sound of Early's guns in his rear informed 
him of the disaster which had befallen this brave officer, 
and warned him of the perils of his own situation. Not 
hesitating for a moment, he wheeled a part of his force 
confronting Hooker right around, and sent them off at 
full speed to reinforce Early and arrest Sedgwick's ad- 
vance. The two columns met about half-way between 
Chan cellorsvi lie and Fredericksburg, and at once joined 
in battle. A temporary advantage was gained by Sedg- 
wick in the beginning of the encounter, but was followed 
by a repulse, and steadily he was pushed back until 
night put an end to the conflict. The day was now won 
for the Confederates : Hooker was driven back into his 
second line of works, and Sedgwick was checked in his 
march to his relief. AVorn out by two days' incessant 
fighting, marching, and countermarching, covered with 
dust, and begrimed with the smoke of battle, but with 
victory perching on the banners which they had so 
proudly borne aloft, the Confederates sank to rest, arms 
in hand, on the field of battle. So ended this memorable 
Sabbath in the early days of May. 

The next day, the 4th, at six o'clock in the evening, 
the Confederates renewed their attack on Sedgwick. 



DEATH AND BURIAL. 333 

That gallant officer made a stubborn resistance to the 
violent attack of the Confederates ; but in vain. He 
wa.s pushed steadily back, and withdrew his force, under 
cover of the night, to the north bank of the Rappa- 
hannock. 

General Lee on the 5th collected his shattered forces 
together, determining to renew the attack on Hooker the 
next day. But when the morning of the 6th dawned, 
Hooker was on the north side of the Rappahannock, 
having carried his army across safely during the night, 
leaving behind him his wounded, fourteen pieces of 
artillery, seventeen standards, and twenty thousand stand 
of arms. The reports from the two opposing armies 
make the Confederate loss a little over ten thousand men, 
that of the Federals a little over seventeen thousand. 

So ended the spring campaign of 1863. 

Several remarks made by Jackson during those last 
memorable days of liis life, not found in the account of 
his death, which I shall quote, must be given here. In 
speaking of his flank movement against Hooker, he said, 
" Our movement yesterday was a great success ; I think 
the most successful military movement of my life. But 
I expect to receive far more credit for it than I deserve. 
]\Iost men will think that I had planned it all from the 
first ; but it was not so. I simply took advantage of 
circumstances as they were presented to me in the provi- 
dence of God. I feel that his hand led me ; let us give 
Him all the glory.'' At his request, his chaplain came 
every morning at ten o'clock and read the Bible and had 
prayers. ]More than once on these occasions he assured 
the chai)lain that he was ready and willing to die, but 
that he did not think his time had yet come, as he felt 



334 LJPi'^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSOX. 

sure his heavenly Father had a work for hhn to accom- 
plish ill the defense of liis beloved country. Asserting 
that tlie Bible gives rules for every profession, lie asked 
one of liis aides, smiling, "Can you tell me where the 
Bible gives generals a model for their official reports of 
battles?" The young officer laughed, and answered in 
the negative. " Nevertheless," said Jackson, " there are 
such. Look, for instance, at the narrative of Joshua's 
battle with the Amalekites; there you have one. It 
has clearness, brevity, fairness, modesty ; and it traces 
the victory to its right source, — the blessing of God." 

In speaking of the persons whom the Saviour healed, 
lie expressed the belief that they never had a return of 
the same disease, and, after a pause, as if thinking of 
his own case, exclaimed, ^' Oh for infinite power!" To 
his little daughter he clung as long as consciousness 
lasted. Having sent for her once, his eyes were riveted 
on the door until it was opened and she appeared, when, 
with a countenance radiant with delight, he exclaimed, 
''Little darling!" and had her placed on the bed beside 
him, caressing her and playing w^ith her as much as 
his feeble condition would allow. AYhen his opinion of 
Hooker's plan of campaign was asked by some one, he 
said, " It was, in the main, a good conception, sir ; an 
excellent plan. But he should not have sent away his 
cavalry ; that was his great blunder. It was that Avhich 
enabled me to turn him without his being aware of it, 
and to take him by his rear. Had he kept his cavalry 
with him, his plan would have been a very good one." 

The day (Sunday) on which Jackson died, Lee, with 
his staff and lieutenants grouped around him, attended 
divine service at the headquarters of Jackson's corps. 
As soon as the chaplain made his appearance, the com- 



DEATH AND BURIAL. 335 

mander-In-chlef advanced to meet him, and asked in 
anxious tones after Jackson. When told that there was 
scarcely a hope of his recovery, he exclaimed, in a tone 
almost of bitterness, " Surely General Jackson must re- 
cover. God will not take him from us, now that we need 
him so much. Surely he will be spared to us, in answer 
to the many prayers Avhich are offered for him/' And 
later he added, "When you return, I trust you will 
find him better. When a suitable occasion offers, give 
him my love, and tell him that I wrestled in prayer for 
him last night as I never prayed, I believe, for myself.'^ 
His voice trembled with the deep emotion which he now 
turned away to conceal. Several days before, when 
Jackson's condition was considered more alarming than 
liad been anticipated. General Lee had refused to believe 
that there could be any danger of losing him, and said 
to a gentleman who was going to visit Jackson, " Give 
him my affectionate regards, and tell him to make haste 
and get well, and come back to me as soon as he can. 
He has lost his left arm, but I have lost my right arm." 
Certainly there is something exceedingly touching in 
the impossibility which it seemed to be for Lee to realize 
that Jackson would die and be torn from him at the 
time of all others when he most needed him. And the 
bitterness of his cry when that realization was at last 
forced on him ! that lonely midnight wrestling in prayer 
that he might be saved ! Was it foresight ? Did the 
dim reality of the gloomy future dawn on his great soul ? 
Was he startled at the thought of the lonely agony and 
sorrow in store for him, which the dying man alone could 
have shared with him, when, starting with his \\ii\Q army 
on that long declivity of disaster and misfortune, he saw 
the sorrowful way ending only in destruction ? But not 



336 ^-^^^ ^^ GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSOX. 

ev^en the keen military instinct, tlie energy, and the 
splendid courage of his great lieutenant, had they been 
spared to him, could have altered the stern decrees of 
fate. And in Jackson's fall, untimely as it may seem, 
Ave must recognize the loving-kindness of that heavenly 
Father in whose love he trusted so un^vaveringly, — the 
love which spared him the bitterness of that cup Avhich 
the noble commander-in-chief was to dizain to the dregs. 
Yet how he longed to live, how little the fires of ambi- 
tion were burnt out in him, is clearly revealed by that 
exclamation, "Oh for infinite power!'' as the possibility 
of death forced itself on him. 

To the pen of an eye-Avitness I shall now leaA^e the 
description of the closing scene of this noble life, taking 
up the thread of the story Avhere it Avas dropped at the 
close of the last chapter : 

" Two hours and a half after reaching the hospital 
it AA^as found that sufficient reaction had taken place to 
warrant an examination. At tAA^o o'clock Sunday morn- 
ing. Surgeons Black, ^XaW, and Coleman being present, 
Dr. McGuire informed him that chloroform Avould be 
given him and his Avound examined. He told him that 
amputation Avould probably be required, and asked, if 
it AA^as found necessary, should it be done at once. He 
replied, promptly, ^ Yes, certainly. Dr. McGuire; do for 
me Avhatever you think best.' Chloroform Avas then 
administered, and as he began to feel its effects, and its 
relief to the pain he AA^as suffering, he exclaimed, ^ What 
an infinite blessing !' and continued to repeat the Avord 
* blessing' until he became insensible. The round ball, 
such as is used for the smooth-bore Springfield muskets, 
Avhich had lodged under the skin on the back of his right 
hand, was extracted first. It had entered the jialm about 



DEATH AND BURIAL. 337 

the middle of the hand, and had fractured two of the 
bones. The left arm was then amputated about two 
inches below the shoulder, very rapidly, and with slight 
loss of blood. There were two wounds in this arm. 
The first and most serious was about three inches below 
the shoulder-joint, dividing the main artery and fracturing 
the bone. The second was several inches in length, a 
ball having entered the forearm an inch below the elbow 
and come out upon the opposite side just above the wrist. 
Throughout the whole of the operation, and until all the 
dressings Avere applied, he continued insensible. About 
half-past three o'clock. Colonel (then Major) Pendleton, 
the assistant adjutant-general, arrived at the hospital 
and asked to see General Jackson. At first the surgeon 
declined to permit an interview; but the colonel urged 
that the safety of the army and the success of the cause 
might depend on his seeing him. When he entered the 
tent, the general said, ' AVell, major, I am glad to see you ; 
I thought you were killed.' Pendleton briefly explained 
the condition of affairs, gave Stuart's message, and asked 
what should be done. General Jackson Avas at once 
interested, and asked, in his quick, rapid way, several 
questions. When they were answered, he remained silent 
for a moment, evidently trying to think ; he contracted 
his brow, set his mouth, and for some moments was 
obviously endeavoring to concentrate his thoughts. For 
a moment it was believed he had succeeded; his nostrils 
dilated, and his eye flashed its old fire ; but it was only 
for a moment. His face relaxed again, and presently he 
answered, very feebly and sadly, ^ I don't know ; I can't 
tell. Say to General Stuart he must do what he thinks 
best.' Soon after this he slept for several hours, and 
seemed to be doing well, 
p 29 



338 ^^^^ C>/'' GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

"The next morning be was free from pain, and ex- 
])resscd himself sanguine of reeovery. He sent liis aide- 
de-eamp, Morrison, to inform his wife of his injury, and 
to bring her at once to see him. The following note was 
read to him that morning by Lieutenant Smith : 

" ^ General, — I have just received your note inform- 
ing me that you were wounded. I cannot express my 
regret at the occurrence. Could I have directed events, 
I should liave chosen, for tlie good of the country, to 
have been disabled in your stead. 

" ' I congratuhite you upon the victory which is due 
to your skill and energy. 

" ' Most truly yours, 
" ' (Signed) *R. E. Lee, Generah' 

" He said, ^ General Lee sh.ould give the praise to 
God.' About ten o'clock his right side began to pain 
him so much that he asked to have it examined. He 
said he had injured it in falling from the litter the night 
before, and he believed he had struck it against a stone 
or the stump of a sapling. No evidence of injury could 
be dLscovered by examining ; the skin was not broken 
or bruised, and the lung was performing, as far as could 
be told, its proper functions. Some simple application 
was recommended, in the belief that the pain avouIcI soon 
disappear. 

" At this time the battle was raging fearfully, and the 
sound of the cannon and musketry could be distinctly 
heard at the hospital. The general's attention Avas 
attracted to it from the first, and when the noise was 
at its height, and indicated how fiercely the combat Avas 
being carried on, he directed all of his attendants except 



DEATH AND BURIAL. 339 

Captain Smith to return to tlie battle-field and attend 
to their different duties. By eight o'clock Sunday night 
the pain in his side had disappeared, and in all respects 
he seemed doing well. He inquired minutely about the 
battle, and different troops engaged, and his face would 
light up with enthusiasm and interest when told how 
this brigade acted, or that officer displayed conspicuous 
courage, and his head gave the peculiar shake from 
side to side, and he uttered his usual ^ Good ! good!' 
with unwonted energy, when the gallant behavior of the 
Stonewall Brigade was alluded to. He said, ' The men 
of that brigade will some day be proud to say to tlieir 
children, " I was one of the Stonewall Brigade !" ' He 
disclaimed any right of his own to the name Stonewall. 
' It belongs to the brigade, and not to me.' This night 
he slept well, and was free from pain. A message was 
received from General Lee the next mornino; directino; 
the removal of the general to Guinea's Station as soon 
as his wound would justify it, as there was some danger 
of capture by the enemy, who were threatening to cross 
at Ely's Ford. In the mean time, to protect the hospital, 
some troops were sent to this point. 

" The general objected to being moved if in the opinion 
of the surgeon'it would do him any injury. He said he 
had no objection to staying in a tent, and would prefer 
it, if his wife, when she came, could find lodgings in a 
neighboring house. ^And if the enemy do come,' he 
added, ^ I am not afraid of them ; I have always been 
kind to their wounded, and I am sure they will be kind 
to me.' General Lee sent word araln late this evening: 
that he must be moved, if possible; and preparations were 
made to leave next morning. Dr. McGuIre was directed 
to accompany him, and to remain with liim, and his 



340 ^^^^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

duties Avith tlie corps as medical director Avere turned 
over to tlie surgeon next in rank. General Jackson had 
l)reviously declined to permit Dr. McGuire to go with 
him to Guinea's Station, because complaints had been 
so frequently made of generals when wounded carrying 
with them surgeons belonging to their command. AVhen 
informed of the order of the commanding general, he 
said, * General Lee has always been very kind to me, and 
I thank him.' 

"Very early Tuesday morning he was placed in an 
ambulance and started for Guinea's Station, and about 
eight o'clock that evening he arrived at Chandler's house, 
where he remained till he died. Captain Hotchkiss, with 
a party of pioneers, was sent in i'ront to clear the road 
of wood, stones, etc., and to order the wagons out of the 
track to let the ambulance pass. The rough teamsters 
sometimes refused to move their loaded wagons out of 
the way for an ambulance until told that it contained 
Jackson, and then w^ith all possible speed they gave the 
way, and stood with hats oif and weeping as he passed 
by. At Spottsylvania Court-House, and along the whole 
route, men and women rushed to the ambulance, bring- 
ing all the poor delicacies they had, and with tearful eyes 
they blessed him and prayed for his recovery. He bore 
the journey well, and was cheerful throughout the day. 
He talked freely about the late battle, and among other 
things said that he had intended to cut the enemy oif 
from United States Ford, and, taking a position between 
them and the river, oblige them to attack him ; and he 
added, with a smile, ' ]My men sometimes fail to drive 
the Yankees from a position, but they always fail to 
drive us.' ' He spoke of E,odes, and spoke in high terms 
of his magnificent behavior on the field of battle Satur- 



DEATH AND BURIAL. .34X 

dny evening. He hoped he wonld be promoted. He 
thought promotions for gallantry should be -made at once 
upon the • field, and not delayed. If made very early, 
on the field, they would be the greatest incentives to 
gallantry in others. He spoke of Colonel Willis, who 
commanded the skirmishers of Rodes's division, ])raised 
him very highly, and refeiTed to the deaths of Paxton 
and Boswell very feelingly. He alluded to them as men 
of great promise and merit. The day Avas quite warm, 
and at one time he suffered from slight nausea. At his 
suggestion, a wet towel was put over his stomach, and 
he expressed great relief from it. After he arrived at 
Chandler's house he ate some bread and tea with evi- 
dent relish, and slept well throughout the entire night. 
Wednesday he was thought to be doing remarkably well. 
He ate heartily, for one in his condition, and was uni- 
formly cheerful. He expressed great satisfaction when 
told his wounds were doing remarkably well, and asked 
the surgeon if he could tell from their appearance how 
long he would probably be kept from the field. Con- 
versing with Captain Smith a few moments afterwards, 
he alluded to his wounds, and said, ^ Many would regard 
them as a great misfortune. I regard them as one of 
the blessings of my life.' Captain Smith remarked, 
' All things work together for good to those that love 
God.' 'Yes,' he answered; 'that's it, that's it.' At 
Dr. McGuire's request. Dr. Morrison came to-day, and 
remained with him. About one o'clock Thursday morn- 
ing he directed his servant Jim to apply a wet towel to 
his stomach, to relieve an attack of nausea with which he 
was suffering. The servant asked permission to first 
consult Dr. McGuire, who was sleeping in the room next 
to the general. Knowing that the doctor had slept none 

29* 



342 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

for nearly tlirce entire nights, he refused to allow the 
servant to disturb him, and desired his chaplain, the 
Eev. JNIr. Lacy, to give him a towel. About daylight 
the doctor was aroused, and informed that the general 
was suffering great pain. An examination disclosed 
pneumonia. It was doubtless attributable to the fall 
from the litter the night he was wounded. The general 
himself believed it was due to this cause. The disease 
came on too soon after the application of wet cloths to 
admit of the supposition, once believed, that it was in- 
duced by them. Some effusion of blood in his chest was 
probably produced by the fall referred to, and the shock 
and the loss of blood prevented any ill effects until re- 
action had been well established, and then inflammation 
and pneumonia ensued. 

" Towards the evening of this day (Friday) he became 
better, and hopes were again entertained of his recovery. 
Mrs. Jackson arrived to-day, and nursed him faithfully 
to the end. She was a devoted wife and earnest Chris- 
tian, and endeared all to her by her great gentleness and 
kindness. Mrs. Dr. Hoge, of Richmond, came and re- 
mained with her. The general's joy at the presence of 
his w^ife and child was very great, and for him he was 
unusually demonstrative. Noticing the sadness of his 
wife, he said to her, tenderly, ^ I know you would gladly 
give your life for me, but I am perfectly resigned. Do 
not be sad ; I hope I may recover. Pray for me, but 
always remember in your prayers to use the petition, 
" Thy will be done " ' Friday his wounds were again 
dressed, and found to be healing. The pain in his side 
had disappeared ; but he breathed with difficulty, and 
complained of a feeling of great exhaustion. When Dr. 
Brecken ridge, who had been sent for in consultation, said 



DEATH AND BURIAL. 343 

he hoped that a blister which had been applied \YOuld 
afford him relief, he expressed his own confidence in it, 
and in his final recovery. On Saturday, Dr. Tucker, 
from Richmond, arrived in obedience to a telegram, and 
all that human skill could devise was done to stay the 
hand of death. He suffered no pain to-day, and his 
breathing was less difficult, but he was evidently hourly 
growing weaker. When his child was brought to him 
to-day, he played with it for some time, frequently caress- 
ing it and calling it his ' little comforter.' At one time 
he raised his wounded hand over its head, and, closing 
his eyes, was for some time silently engaged in prayer. 
He said to Dr. McGuire, ' I see from the number of 
physicians that you think ray condition dangerous; but 
I thank God, if it is his will, that I am ready to go.' 

"About daylight on Sunday morning Mrs. Jackson 
informed him that his recovery was very doubtful, and 
that it was better he should be prepared for the worst. 
He was silent for a moment, and then said, ^ It will be 
infinite gain to be translated to heaven.' He advised his 
wife, in the event of his death, to return to her father's 
house, and added, 'You have a kind and good father, 
but there is no one so kind and good as your heavenly 
Father.' He still expressed a hope of his recovery, but 
requested, if he should die, to be buried at Lexington, 
in the Valley of Virginia. 

" His exhaustion increased so rapidly that, at eleven 
o'clock, Mrs. Jackson knelt by his bed and told him that 
before the sun went down he would be with his Saviinir. 
He replied, ' Oh, no ; you are frightened, my child ; death 
is not so near. I may yet get well.' She fell over on the 
bed, weeping bitterly, and told him again that the phy- 
sicians said there was no hope. After a moment's pause. 



344 LIFE OF OENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

he asked her to call Dr. McGuire, who was standing in 
tlic anteroom, and said to him, as he entered, ^Doctor, 
Anna informs me that yon have told her I am to die to- 
day : is it so ?' When he was answered in the affirm- 
ative, he tnrned his eyes to the ceiling and gazed for a 
moment or two as if in intense thought, and then replied, 
^ Very good, very good ; it is all right/ He then tried 
to comfort his almost heart-broken wife, and told her he 
had a good deal to say to her, but was too weak. Colonel 
Pendleton came into the room about one o'clock, and he 
asked him, ' AVho is preaching at headquarters to-day ?' 
When told that the whole army was praying for him, he 
replied, ' Thank God ; they are very kind.' He said, 
^ It is the Lord's day ; my wish is fulfilled. I have 
always desired to die on Sunday.' 

^' His mind now began to fail and wander, and he fre- 
quently talked as if in copimand upon the field, giving 
orders in his old way. Then the scene shifted, and he 
was now at the mess-table with members of his staff; 
now with his wife and child ; now" at prayers with his 
military family. Occasionally intervals of the return 
of his mind would appear, and during one of them he 
was offered some brandy-and-water, but he declined it, 
saying, 'It will only delay my departure, and do no 
good. I want to preserve my mind, if possible, to the 
last.' About half-past one he was told he had but two 
hours to live, and he answered again, feebly, but veiy 
firmly, ' Very good; it is all right.' A few minutes be- 
fore he died, he cried out, in his delirium, ' Order A. P. 
Hill to prej)are for action; pass the infantry to the front 

rapidly; tell ]\Iajor Hawks ' then stopped, leaving the 

sentence unfinished. Presently a smile of ineffable sweet- 
ness spread itself over his pale face, and he said, quietly 



DEATH AND BURIAL. 345 

and Avith an expression as of relief, ^ Let us cross over 
tlie river and rest under the shade of the trees/ And 
tlien, without pain or the least struggle, his spirit passed 
from earth to the God who gave it." * 

Thus, in the fortieth year of his agef (born 1824, 
died 1863), died General Jackson. The next day the 
following General Order was issued by the commander- 
in-chief of the army: 

«« Headquarters Army of Northern Virginia. 
"General Order No. 61. 

'^ With deep grief the commanding general announces 
to the army the death of Lieutenant-General T. J. Jack- 
son, who expired on the 10th instant, at quarter-past 
three P.M. The daring skill and energy of this great 
and good soldier, by the decree of an all-wise Provi- 
dence, are now lost to us. But, while we mourn his 
death, we feel that his spirit still lives, and will inspire 
the whole army with his indomitable courage and un- 
shaken confidence in God as our hope and strength. 
Let his name be a watch-word to his corps, who have fol- 
loAved him to victory on so many fields. Let his officers 
and soldiers emulate his invincible determination to do 
everything in the defense of our loved country. 

" R. E. Lee, General.'' 



*Tlns account of Jackson's death is written by Dr. McGuire, 
and taken from the Battle-Fields of Virginia, the excellent contn- 
bution to the history of the war between the States from which I 
have already quoted largely. 

f " Thomas was born in Clarksburg, January 21, 1824. The 
early death of his parents and dispersion of the little family ob- 
literated the record of the exact date, so that General Jackson 
himself was unable to fix it with c^xUxinij.^'-Dabnefs Life oj 
Jackson^ p. 9. 



346 LIFE OF GFXERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

It is impossible to describe the grief caused by Jack- 
son's death. The news of it reached Richmond about 
nightfall, and spread the deepest gloom and depression 
over the whole city. Now were fully realized the spell 
under which his strange and brilliant career held captive 
the imagination of men, and the strength of that devo- 
tion with which his splendid deeds bound the hearts of 
his countrymen to him. In camp the feeling was, if 
possible, deeper still, and the stern soldiers who had been 
hardened by two years of the horrors and hardships of 
war moved about silently and sadly, as if in the chamber 
of death itself. 

The great Captain's remains were shrouded by his staff 
on Sunday night; the torn coat in which he had been 
wounded was replaced by a citizen's coat often worn by 
him, and his whole figure was w^rapped in his military 
overcoat. A plain wooden coffin was procured, and in 
that his body was first laid ; but some embalmers who 
were sent by the Governor with a metallic case arrived 
that same night, and his remains were by them finally 
prepared for the grave. 

During the last moments of his 'life, w^hile his mind 
was wandering, some one near asked him where he 
wished to be buried. Charlotte, North Carolina, as 
being the future home of Mrs. Jackson, was suggested ; 
but, evidently not being able to keep his mind on the 
subject, he thought Charlottesville, Virginia, was meant. 
When Lexington was mentioned as a suitable place, he 
nodded assent, but showed, even if he understood what 
he was doing, no preference for that village as his final 
resting-place. But there it was decided he should be 
buried. 

A committee of citizens and prominent men sent by 



DEATH AND BURIAL. 347 

the Governor to escort bis remains to Richmond started, 
accompanied by bis staff, with them for that city on 
Monday morning. The time for tlie arrival of the train 
was uncertain ; but long before the earliest hour at which 
it was possible for it to arrive, the population of the city, 
all ages and sexes mingled together, was seen wending 
its way to the point on Broad Street where it was known 
the train would stop. For hours they waited ; but in 
vain : there was no sign of the approaching train. The 
morning hours of this lovely May day passed ; the warm 
rays of the noonday sun drove the crowd to the shady 
side of the street, but could not scatter that sadly expect- 
ant throng, which gradually surged onwards in the direc- 
tion in which the train would come. He whom they had 
fondly dreamt of one day welcoming with shouts of ap- 
plause, and of bearing in triumph through the beautiful 
streets of their beautiful city, was indeed near at hand, and 
nature seemed to have assumed her loveliest garb to wel- 
come him, for never had brighter skies overarched that 
devoted city, never had the freshness of spring and the 
purity of the atmosphere made so brilliant the green 
foliage and lovely flowers wliich adorn her streets as on 
that memorable day. He was indeed coming, but not 
in the pageant of war, not amid the pseans of victory 
and the shouts of applause which mark the victor's en- 
trance into the saved city ; not in life, but in death, — 
a death which he did not welcome and did not dread. 
With what chastened hearts did his countrymen then 
w^atch for him ! with feelings how^ awed, yet how deep 
and tender, did they strain their eyes to get the first 
glimpse of his approach! and how meet tliat they should 
in a long watch, with every voice hushed into a whisper, 
give him this silent yet touching homage of devotion ! 



348 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

Suddenly the solemn silence was broken by the loud 
toll of a bell which resounded through the air. It was 
known to be the signal of the entrance of the funeral 
cortege into the city; and yet the train which was to 
bring it had not arrived. In a few minutes all was ex- 
j)lained to the expectant yet startled crowd. Warned of 
tlie tlirong whicli was awaiting its arrival, the officers 
with the body stopped the train a mile out of town. 
Mrs. Jackson and the lady friends accompanying her 
were placed in a carriage and driven rapidly to the Gov- 
ernor's house, while the hearse in attendance received 
the general's remains, and with the little cortege attend- 
ing them slowly entered the city. The first stroke of 
the bell had brought to their feet all those who were not 
already on the street, and silently the doors of the houses 
were opened as their inmates poured out to take part in 
this welcome to the nation's mighty dead. Every avenue 
leading to the street along which the procession moved 
was thronged; the eager civilian and the maimed soldier 
toilino; alono; on his crutch were seen hurrvino; forward 
to the same goal. The profound silence amid so much 
motion was impressive in the extreme, and the effect was 
heightened by the solemn toll of the bell, which at regu- 
lar interv^als startled the still air. As the procession, 
passing down Grace Street, reached the Capitol Square, 
the gates were thrown open, and the cortege entered 
and passed directly down the avenue to the Governor's 
mansion. The crowd, aware that this Square would 
be the halting-place, had already swarmed over its beau- 
tiful grounds, and men were seen clinging to the sides 
of the Capitol, thronging the steps and pedestiils of the 
Washington monument, and hanging from the trunks 
and limbs of the trees, eager to catch a glimpse of all 



DEATH AND BURIAL. 349 

that was earthly of him whose spirit had passed beyond 
the skies. 

The people, restless in their grief, and anxious to give 
some further display of feeling, seized the occasion of 
the transfer of the general's remains from the Governor's 
mansion to the Capitol to do this. On the morning of the 
12th, therefore, this solemn pageant took place. In it 
participated the Government officials, from the highest to 
the lowest, military men of every rank, from the lieu- 
tenant-general to the private, and citizens regardless of 
age, sex, or condition. All business was suspended, and 
a Sabbath-like stilhiess reigned through the streets of 
the city. The tolling of the bells was the first sum- 
mons to the Square; but long before the appointed hour 
— ten o'clock — thousands of the citizens, among whom 
were hundreds of ladies and children, had assembled 
there in solemn silence. At the gate stood the hearse, 
draped in mourning, with four white horses attached to 
it. In the Governor's mansion, in an elevated position 
in the centre of the reception-room, was the metallic 
case containing the body. It was enveloped in the Con- 
federate flag, and covered with bouquets and wreaths of 
flowers which had been sent as tributes of love and patri- 
otic devotion. Around were assembled a few friends, 
many officers and officials of high rank, and the pall- 
bearers, the last being six major- and brigadier-generals 
in full uniform. At eleven o'clock the coffin was borne 
from the house to the hearse, the vast concourse instinct- 
ively uncovering when it appeared. 

The line of procession was formed, and moved forward 

slowly, as the band played the "Dead March in Saul," 

and the firing of the signal-gun on the Square announced 

to the thousands who could not get within sight of the 

p* 



350 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACK SOX. 

line tliat it was in motion. Slowly the long procession 
wonnd through the streets of the city, all the sidewalks 
thronged with the populace and soldiery, and every- 
where heads lowered and voices subdued, the measured 
beat of the drum and march of the procession alone 
being heard. Immediately behind the hearse, the Avar- 
steed of the dead hero, with his war-trappings upon him, 
was led ; across the vacant saddle was thrown his mas- 
ter's military overcoat ; in the stirrups, with feet reversed, 
were his boots. Next came members of the '^ Old Stone- 
wall Brigade," who attracted much sympathetic notice, 
moving as they did with slow steps and downcast looks, 
as if each were following the corpse of a father. While 
the procession moved along, the bells were tolled and the 
guns fired until the head of the line appeared at the gate 
of the Square. At the western entrance of the Capitol 
the hearse stopped, and the coffin was taken out and 
borne up the steps into the hall of tlie House of Kepre- 
sentatives as the band played a low dirge. In front of 
the Speaker's chair an altar had been erected, on which 
the coffin was laid. The superstitious had noticed with 
dismay that the coffin in the hearse w^as covered with the 
first Confederate flag which had been made upon the 
model selected a few weeks before by the Confederate 
Congress. It was considered ominous that its first use 
should be to envelop the body of the nation's darling. 
The same flag was wrapped around it in the Capitol. 
After the remains were placed in the Capitol, the cortege 
and military dispersed, but not so the people. They 
lingered still around the Capitol. AVhat further honors 
could they now pay the mighty dead ? What privilege 
did they still claim? — The dear and sacred one of look- 
ing on the face of the dead Jackson. As silently as 



DEATH AND BURIAL. 351 

they had followed his bier through the streets of their 
city, they now began to throng into the Capitol and file 
through the silent hall of death. At the door stood a 
sentinel with drawn sword, to keep the rush from being 
too great. Gentle women, and grave, stern men, passed 
in through the door, gazed for a moment on the dear 
face, and then sadly left the hall, many in tears, through 
a second entrance. One look, though it sufficed not, 
was all that could be obtained by each visitor, the throng 
behind pressing the visitor forward, the features of the 
mighty warrior in death's repose graven upon the tablets 
of the memory of all. Children of tender years, maiden 
and youth, who had never seen ^'Stonewall'' Jackson 
living, crowded in, full of the parental injunction to look 
upon the features of '^ Stonewall" Jackson dead. What 
a memory these youthful minds bore away, to be recalled 
when their children's children speak of him in after- 
years ! It is estimated that fully twenty thousand persons 
viewed the body thus lying in state ; and the number 
would have been greater had the arrangements been better. 
" The face of the dead displayed the same inimitable 
lines of firmness, with the long, slightly aquiline nose 
and high forehead, of marble whiteness ; but the cheeks 
presented a deep pallor. The eyelids were firmly closed, 
the mouth natural, and the whole contour of the fiice 
composed, the full beard and moustache remaining. The 
body was dressed in a full citizen's suit. The doors of 
the hall were kept open to visitors until nine o'clock in 
the evening, when they were closed, and Richmond took 
her farewell of ^ Stonewall' Jackson." * 

* See Richmond Examiner, May 13, 1863, for the whole of this 
description — in quotation-marks as well as without — of the honors 
paid the dead hero by Eichmond on the 12th of May. 



352 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

Just as the sentinel was closing the doors, a one-armed 
soldier appeared, but was denied admittance, as the hour 
had arrived when it was ordered they should be closed. 
With flashing eyes, the soldier pointed to his empty 
sleeve, and said, "By this arm which I lost for my 
country I demand the privilege of seeing my general 
once more !" 

The next day. May 13, Jackson's faithful body-guard, 
his staff, left Kichmond for Lexington, by Charlottesville 
and Lynchburg. At almost every station flowers were 
sent into the car to be placed on the great man's coffin ; 
and no tribute that love and admiration could suorffest 
was omitted along the whole route. Arrived in Lexing- 
ton, the remains were placed in Jackson's old lecture- 
room, and there guarded by the cadets during the night. 
On the morrow they were borne to the village church, 
where a simple and touching service for the dead was 
held over them by the dead warrior's beloved pastor. 
From thence they were borne, amid a weeping throng, 
to the village burying-ground, where they still lie. 

The day the funeral cortege left Richmond, the " Ex- 
aminer," in an editorial sketch of Jackson, said, — 

" All the poor honors that Virginia, sorely pressed, 
could afford her most glorious and beloved son, having 
been offered to his mortal part in this Capitol, the funeral 
cortege of the famous Jackson left it yesterday morning 
on the long road to Lexington, in the Valley of Vir- 
ginia. It was the last wish of the d'ead man to be buried 
there, amid the scenes familiar to his eyes through his 
manhood, obscure and unrecorded, but perhaps filled 
with recollections to him not less affecting than those 
connected with the brief but crowded period passed upon 
a grander stage. This desire, expressed at such a time. 



DEATH AND BURIAL. 353 

demanded and has received unhesitating compliance. 
Yet many regret that his remains will not rest in another 
spot. Near this city is a hill crowned by secular oaks, 
washed by the waters of the river, identified with what 
is great in the State's history from the days of Elizabeth 
to the present hour, which has been well selected as the 
place of natural honor for the illustrious dead of Vir- 
ginia. There sleep Monroe and Tyler. We have neither 
a Westminster nor a Pantheon, but all would wish to see 
the best that we could give conferred on Jackson. Here- 
after Virginia will build for him a stately tomb, and 
strike a medal to secure the memory of his name beyond 
the reach of accident, if accident Avere possible. But it 
is not possible ; nor is a monument necessary to cause the 
story of this man's life to last when bronze shall have 
corroded and marble crumbled. Such expressions of a 
nation's gratitude are not to be reproved or checked ; but 
they serve the giver, not the receiver, when thus worthy. 

" ' What needs our hero for his honored bones 
The labor of an age in i)iled stones 
Or that his hallowed reliques should be hid 
Under a star-y pointing pyramid? 
Dear son of memory, great heir of fame, 
What need'st thou such weak witness of thy name?' 

... '^ At Lexington the cadets had but little par- 
itality for the taciturn professor. At one time his life 
was threatened by a cadet dismissed from the Institute, 
the wild boy actually going to the extremity of lying in 
wait for him on the road leading from the Institute to 
the village. As Jackson, in his accustomed walk to the 
village, approached the spot where his enemy awaited 
him, a bystander called out to him of his danger. ' Let 
the Assassin murder, if he will,' replied the professor, as 

30* 



351 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

he walked in the most unconcerned manner towards the 
young man, who shmk abashed from his path. . . . 

'' The accounts of General Jackson's appearance are 
varied. Many could see nothing great in his form or 
face ; but those are they that hold to the stage idea of 
a hero. . . . But experienced observers of men do not 
hesitate to declare that they have recognized him among 
a crowd of other officers as the only man there who could 
be Jackson. He was a muscular man, six feet high, of 
a clear, white complexion, blue-gray eyes, sharp aquiline 
nose; a prominent chin, set on a powerful and well- 
curved jaw. The skull was magnificent in size and 
shape ; the forehead both broad and high, and balanced 
by a long, deep mass behind and above the ear." 

Thus ends the record of the remarkable career of this 
most remarkable man. It is impossible to study his 
life without being struck by the useful lesson which it 
offers to mankind. To the young aspirant for fame ; to 
the youth, thirsting for knowledge and struggling in 
poverty to secure an education ; to all, in short, who are 
striving to make headway against a sea of troubles in 
their Avalk through life, what encouragement it offers, 
what lessons in patient perseverance ! And in that ex- 
alted perfection of faith which no earthly cloud could 
dim, but which to the uncomprehending was only fanat- 
icism, how highly blessed he was among his fellow-men ! 
how many earthly treasures could have been dispensed 
with as long as this heaven-born gift was his, — tliis 
simple faith which in the midst of the darkest hour of 
trial revealed to him the hidden joys of the unknown 
Wi^rld whose hallowed radiance illumined his pathway 
tlirouo'h life. 



DEATH AND BURIAL. 355 

Born and reared in obscurity, passing through a child- 
hood marked in its earliest stages by trials which might 
have crushed a less buoyant spirit, he struggled on until 
in his admission to West Point he had the much-coveted 
opportunity of securing an education. From that time 
until he left Lexington at the head of a company of boys 
to enter the service of the Confederate States — save that 
short, brilliant period in Mexico — his life was unevent- 
ful. That he was good, that he was brave, that he was 
industrious, his acquaintances all knew. In the sunshine 
of his bright temper his family basked, while the warmth 
of his affections and his tender caressing manner in that 
sacred circle knit their hearts to his by ties too strong to 
be broken even by death. His intimate friends found 
in him a judgment so strong, so clear, and so just that 
his advice was oftener sought and oftener followed than 
that of any other. But to the world he was a fanatic in 
religion ; in society he was considered a dull man; and 
to the students in his lecture-room he was a conscientious 
but uninteresting teacher. Yet it was during the silence 
of those voiceless years that the man was formed who 
in the brief space of two years was to have a career so 
brilliant as to leave his name enrolled among the great 
ones of the earth. 

In secret and in silence the busy little insects of the 
deep toil for centuries, unseen by the world, when sud- 
denly the fruit of their labors appears in the beautiful 
island which rises in the midst of a waste of waters. 
Beneath the cover of her dull winter garb the secret 
influences of nature are at work, until under the enchant- 
ing influences of a spring sun she bursts through her 
shroud and appears in a beauty so varied and so brilliant 
as to dazzle the eyes of her worshipers. And so it is 



356 LJ^^ ^^ GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 



:nown 



with the great man. The cahiiest and most unki 
period of his life is the great preparation-time. From 
the hour when Jackson, as a youth full of ambition and 
of aspirations for the future, inscribed in his diary the 
words, ^' You can be what you choose to be," to the hour 
of his death, he was never neglectful either of acquiring 
knowledge or of discharging the duties of life. He 
knew how to prize the little moments which make up 
the sum of life ; how to seize the little opportunities of 
doing good which strengthen virtue in a man's soul 
and lead to noble deeds and generous sacrifices; how 
to strengthen his mind by daily study. 

When the hour then came to summon him forth into 
the arena where honor and fame were to be won, he was 
not found w^anting, but ready armed and equipped for 
the fray. A man of indomitable will, untiring energy, 
and endowed with personal courage to as high a degree 
as it is ever vouchsafed to the sons of men, he could 
indeed be whatever he chose to be. Devotion to duty 
was the star which guided him through life ; and how 
many great names does not the world owe to this same 
devotion ! It bore Washington through the trials of the 
cruel winter at Valley Forge ; it sustained Lee in the 
bitter agony of the hour of surrender at Appomattox ; 
and it sent Jackson forth from his lecture-room an un- 
know^n man, and found him at the end of two short yeuis 
laid in state in this same room as a dead warrior, but 
one whose deeds in that short and brilliant period had 
made his name immortal. 

FTappy the nation that is fruitful in great men, and 
happier still when to those great men she can point as 
models of every manly and Christian virtue, and, as she 
inscribes their names in history, feels sure that they are 



DEATH AND BURIAL. 357 

as pure as they are brilliant ! Virginia, who has been so 
justly reproached for lagging behind amid such progress 
as this century has witnessed in science, art, and liter- 
ature, may be pardoned for believing that in the sim- 
plicity of life and of manners which characterizes her 
people, and in her decried civilization, there must be 
some secret 2)0wer, some potent influence for good, which 
could produce the man that in the war of Independence 
made the name of Washington peerless among those of 
the great leaders in that immortal struggle, and Avhich, 
before the first centennial of the nation was ushered in, 
finds her emerging from the fiery ordeal of civil war 
with her household gods, indeed, lying shivered around 
her, but with unstained honor, and pure hands inscribing 
on her banners beside the name of this, her ffreat first- 
born in glory, the no less loved, no less honored, and no 
less brilliant names of Lee and Jackson. 



30* 



CHAPTER XYIII. 

CONCLUSION. 

Soon after Jackson's death, a number of his admirers 
in Eng:land formed an association whose aim was to have 
a bronze statue of the great Captain made. For this 
purpose a sum of four thousand guineas was raised, and 
the order for the statue given to the distinguished Foley. 
It was intended to present the statue to the Confederacy, 
with the stipulation that it was to be placed in Rich- 
mond. Mr. Foley immediately began the work of 
modeling, but the further execution of the work was 
delayed by the interference of other orders. In the 
mean time, the Confederacy fell, and the statue remained 
in embryo for several years. It was not cast in bronze 
until 1874, and was later offered to the State of Vir- 
ginia in the following letter to the Governor : 

"Arklow House, Connaught Place, 

London, March 2, 1875. 

"Sir, — When the news reached England of the death 
of General T. J. Jackson (so well known as 'Stonewall 
Jackson'), a subscription was spontaneously organized 
in this country among persons who admired the character 
of that truly great man, to procure a statue of him which 
they mi^ht present to his native country as a tribute of 
English sympathy and admiration. 

"The work was intrusted to a most distinguished 
358 




STATUE EUECTED AT KICIIMOND, \ IlKilMA, OCToHEK .it., ISir,. 

(Page 358.) 



CONCLUSION. 359 

artist (the late Mr. J. H. Foley, R.A.), and, althongli its 
progress Avas delayed by the ill health of the sculptor 
and by his conscientious desire for the accuracy of the 
portrait, and latterly by his death, it has been brought to 
a successful conclusion in the form of a standing statue 
of heroic size, cast in bronze. It is a very noble work 
of art, and, it is hoped and believed, a faithful likeness. 

^' As representing the subscribers, it is now my pleas- 
urable duty to ask you whether the State of Virginia 
"vvill accept this memorial of its distinguished son, and 
tribute of English sympathy, and would guarantee its 
erection in some conspicuous spot in Richmond. If the 
answer is favorable, I would take the necessary steps to 
forward the statue to its destination. It is the privilege 
of members of our Royal Academy of Arts that the 
works of a deceased Academician may be contributed to 
the exhibition immediately succeeding the death. It is 
considered due alike to the artist and the subject that the 
English people should have the opportunity of seeing 
the statue before it leaves this country forever. 

" The annual exhibition of the Academy closes about 
the beginning of August ; after which date no delay 
need take place in forwarding the statue to Virginia. 

" I have the honor to remain, sir, your faithful and 
obedient servant, 

"A. J. B. Beresford Hope, 
^' M. P. for University of Cambridge." 

In communicating Mr. Hope's letter to the General 
Assembly, the Governor said, — 

" It is not doubted that the General Assembly will 
promptly and appropriately recognize the munificence 
which offers such an honor to Virginia, and will make 



360 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSOX. 

whatever appropriation may be sufficient to receive the 
statue and erect it on a suitable pedestal. 

" It revives no animosities of the past, it wounds the 
sensibilities of no good man of whatever party or sec- 
tion, to honor and revere the memory of Jackson. All 
the world knows that the earth beneath which his body 
lies covers the ashes of a patriot and hero whose great- 
ness shed lustre on the age in Avhich he lived. His ex- 
ample belongs to mankind, and his deeds and virtues 
will be cherished by all the coming generations of the 
great American republic as among the proudest memo- 
ries of a common glory. Many others are now the ob- 
jects of higher honors and louder praises. But when 
the accidents of fortune and success shall no longer de- 
termine the value of principles and achievements, when 
the names of others now more applauded shall have been 
swept into oblivion by the hand of time, the memory 
of Stonewall Jackson, like that of his great commander, 
will continue to grow brighter as the centuries pass into 
history." 

On receiving this message from the Governor, with 
the letter accompanying it, the General Assembly passed 
the following preamble and resolutions: 

'^The Governor having transmitted to the General 
Assembly a communication from A. J. B. Beresford 
Hope, Esq., Member of Parliament for the University 
of Cambridge, tendering to this Commonwealth, on be- 
half of himself and other English subjects, a bronze 
statue of heroic size, by Foley, of the late General 
Thomas J. Jackson : 

" 1. Resolved, by the Senate and House of Delegates, 
That Virginia, acknowledging with profound sensibility 
this generous manifestation of English sympathy by her 



CONCL USION. ^Qi 

people and admiration for her heroic son, very gratefully 
accepts the offering. 

" 2. That the statue be erected on a pedestal worthy 
of the work, on some conspicuous spot within the grounds 
of the Capitol, to be preserved and cherished by the peo- 
ple of Virginia as a memorial of its distinguished sub- 
ject and of the noble sympathies of its honored donors. 

" 3. That the Governor be requested to give public 
notice, by proclamation, of the day on which the statue 
will be uncovered, so that the people may assemble to 
do honor to the event. 

"4. That A. J. B. Beresford Hope be invited to attend 
on the occasion as a guest of the State, and that he be 
tendered by the Governor the hospitalities of Virginia. 

^^5. That the Governor be requested to communicate 
the above resolutions to Mr. Beresford Hope, and express 
to him and his associates the grateful acknowledgments 
of the people of Virginia. 

" 6. That his Excellency the Governor; Captain J. L. 
Eubank, Chairman of the Senate Committee; General 
W. B. Taliaferro, Chairman of the House Committee ; 
and General Jubal A. Early, be, and are hereby, ap- 
pointed a board of commissioners, who shall be charged 
with the duty of receiving the statue, disbursing such 
appropriation as may be made therefor, and making all 
arrangements and contracts necessary to carry into effect 
the foregoing resolutions.*^ 

On the same day the General Assembly appropriated 
ten thousand dollars to defray the expenses oT receiving 
and erecting the statue. 

The statue arrived in Richmond September 22, and 
was at once taken in charge by a detail of the First 
Regiment Virginia Volunteers, and guarded until the 

;n 



362 I'JFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 

evening of the next clay, September 23. It was then 
placed on a wagon, ready to be moved up-town to its 
destination. But it was not the intention either of the 
authorities or of the citizens that the statue should pass 
through the streets of the city with only a small military 
guard. All the volunteer companies turned out, and, 
followed by a procession of citizens in carriages and on 
foot, they moved down the streets of the city to the spot 
where the statue was found resting on a wagon, to which 
was attached a long rope. This was seized by several 
hundred men, and the statue of the great Captain was 
drav/n through the streets of the city by the loving arms 
of his countrymen. They drew the wagon with the 
greatest ease, and it was gratifying to see among those 
who were at the rope Confederate veterans and Union 
officers in the late war mingled together, the animosities 
of the past being lost in the presence of this touching 
tribute to the memory of the mighty dead. The streets 
were thronged, — men, women, and children of all ranks 
being out to join in the procession. A little girl of five 
years old was seen moving quietly beside her father 
who marched along with the men at the rope. 

When the head of the procession entered the Capitol 
Square, the concourse already there was found to be very 
great. The statue was drawn to the foot of the western 
steps of the Capitol. There the military were drawn up 
in line, and ordered to " Halt ! Front face ! Present 
arras!" Then followed a profound silence, and the 
officer in command of the military delivered the statue 
formally to the Governor, who received it with an appro- 
priate speech. 

The 26th of October was appointed as the day for the 
inauguration of the statue, and when it came a throng 



CONCL USION. 363 

such as had not been seen since the days of the war was 
found in the city. People from all parts of the country 
— North, South, East, West — came to be present, and 
when the beautiful October day was ushered in it found 
the city bright with flags and floral and artistic decora- 
tions which had been made by loving hands, and an air 
of such a gala-day as had not been often witnessed in 
the eventful history of that devoted city. A procession, 
composed of ex-Confederate officers and soldiers, citizens, 
visitors, and the dignitaries of the State, made the tour 
of the city, with bands playing, banners flying, and be- 
neath triumphal arches. Private houses were decorated, 
public buildings tastefully festooned with flags, and 
everything done to add to the brilliancy of the scene. 
In the Capitol Square the statue stood veiled on its 
handsome pedestal, and thither the steps of all were 
directed. 

When the procession entered the Square, the ceremonies 
were opened by prayer from a minister who knelt at the 
speaker's stand, which was wound about with the United 
States flag. Then followed the Governor's graceful and 
cordial speech of welcome, and Rev. Dr. Hoge's finished 
oration, which being ended, the statue was unveiled amid 
salvos of artillery and shouts of applause. 



THE END. 



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